Can an OCT scan determine if there was damage to the optic nerve from chemical poisoning?
MAY 25, 2018
Question:
Can an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan determine if chemical poisoning caused damage to the optic nerve?
Answer:
An OCT scan (a non-invasive imaging test of the back of your eye) can determine structural damage to the optic nerve but cannot detect functional damage. The OCT cannot determine the specific cause of damage to the optic nerve. The diagnosis of damage to the optic nerve can be made on OCT under certain circumstances, but typically a diagnosis of poisoning and damage to the optic nerve would be based on multiple tests, including examination of the optic nerve and visual field exams.