It is possible that the spot you notice is a vitreous floater. In addition to a dilated retinal exam with scleral depression to detect a retinal tear/detachment, I would recommend a visual field test, to see if the area of concern shows up on the field test.
Hi Dbs22,
I'm a 59-yr-old female with RA. In Dec., I developed a "blind spot" like yours in the lower right quadrant of my right eye's visual field. My ophthalmologist examined my eye and said she thought it was a floater. (it didn't "float" but stayed in a fixed position). I was afraid it was a scotoma caused by long-term plaquenil therapy, which is known to cause retinal toxicity. In January, this floater grew in size and changed shape, and then I began to notice arc-shaped flashes in my peripheral vision of the right eye. Like a strobe light, as you describe. On Feb. 11, I experienced a sudden burst of floaters so numerous that I knew something was very wrong. I saw a retinal specialist/surgeon that day, and he said I had suffered a posterior vitreous detachment that was so violent it tore the retina. I had surgery the next day to fix the retinal tear, but there's no fix for the vitreous detachment. I still have a lot of floaters and debris in the eye, and my doctor said it could take months to clear.
I don't really have any advice for you, I'm sorry, but you may want to consider seeing a retinal specialist/surgeon if you can.
Wishing you the best,
Sue
Thank you for getting back with me. Tomorrow, I will do a MRA of the brain area. After that it's on to other ideas, if nothing shows up. I will continue to check back with this website. Thanks to all that can offer help. My ophthalmologist and rheumatologist seem to be stumped that my right eye has this small "blind spot" than has recently developed. Most of the time it sits still, but twice now, it has "strobed" with white flashes. All testing has been negative so far.