Diagnosis of RPON
There is no particular test for RPON. The first step of diagnosis if you are experiencing RPON symptoms, is doing some tests to rule out other conditions that might be causing your symptoms. Some likely conditions include tumors, infections, cancer, [3] meningitis, [4] or sarcoidosis. [5]
Once other possible causes of your symptoms have been ruled out and you’ve experienced at least two episodes, then RPON can be diagnosed. Firstly, your neurologist will conduct a physical examination of your eyes. The exam will include the use of eye drops to dilate the eyes.
Other tests that may be done include:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This will help create a detailed image to help search for tumors and nerve compression.
- Blood tests: Blood tests are done to rule out infections and clots.
- Angiography: This would help create images of your blood vessels and check for aneurysm.
- A spinal tap: This would involve inserting a needle into your spine to collect tiny bone marrow samples. Which can be used to check for infections and certain cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
- A chest X-ray: This is done to check for inflammation caused by sarcoidosis.