Enlarged blind spot on the visual field is a feature of which condition?

• A. Optic neuritis
• B. Papilledema
• C. Ischemic optic neuropathy
• D. Glaucoma

Answer: (B)

Enlargement of the physiologic blind spot is most characteristic of papilledema. When intracranial pressure rises, the optic disc becomes swollen (edema), and this swelling expands the area on the retina where there are no photoreceptors—the physiologic blind spot. On visual field testing, this appears as a larger blind spot. Other conditions tend to produce different patterns: optic neuritis usually shows central or paracentral scotomas with reduced acuity; ischemic optic neuropathy causes sudden, often sectoral (altitudinal) field loss; glaucoma starts with peripheral field loss and cupping rather than a enlarged blind spot.