Temporary vascular occlusion; choroidal or retinal vascular spasm
Severe occlusive carotid disease
Temporary neuronal depression related to seizure or migraine
Emboli from the carotid
Cardiac emboli
Aortic dissection
Increased intracranial pressure
Takayasu’s arteritis
Hyperviscosity, e.g. from polycythemia vera, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, leukemia
Thining about the differential diagnosis
Amaurosis fugax comes from the Greek “amaurosis,” meaning dark, and the Latin “fugax,” meaning fleeting. It refers to a transient loss of vision in one or both eyes.
Acute persistent visual loss is defined as vision loss lasting more than 24 hours. This is to be distinguished from acute transient visual loss (amaurosis fugax) which lasts less than 24 hours.