I am 64 years old and recently had shapeless "blobs" come and go in my right eye, obscuring vision in up to one half of my eye. These "blobs" were not floaters. An optometrist examined my eyes and reported his findings to an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist told me to get my carotid artery checked. What could that mean?

Donna

Your description of shapeless "blobs" in your visual field does not sound like a carotid artery problem. The carotid artery is the major blood vessel that carries blood to the eyes and brain. If the carotid artery becomes partially blocked, a person may develop one of two eye conditions.

In the first condition, called amaurosis fugax, a person experiences a short episode of vision loss that lasts anywhere from one minute to a half-hour. Then, the vision returns completely. The major cause of amaurosis fugax is clogging of the carotid artery, although there are many other causes. There is an increased risk of stroke in patients who have amaurosis fugax. However, your "blobs" do not fit the classic description of amaurosis fugax.

The second condition, called ocular ischemic syndrome, occurs when the blood flow to the eye is dramatically diminished because of a blockage of the carotid artery. A person with ocular ischemic syndrome may note transient loss of vision (amaurosis fugax) or may permanently lose vision. An ophthalmologist may note a number of signs, including inflammation within the eye, hemorrhages within the eye and swelling of the retina.

The work-up for both conditions includes a complete eye exam by an ophthalmologist, along with visual-field testing, carotid ultrasound and other tests as recommended by your neurologist. Again, it is unclear from your description why your carotid artery is going to be checked. If you haven't already, you should have a complete eye exam by an ophthalmologist, including a visual-field test.