visual field defect

DEFINITION of visual field defect

Visual field defects represent abnormalities in peripheral or central vision resulting from damage to the visual pathway, manifesting as blind spots, diminished vision, or complete loss in specific regions; these can be unilateral (affecting one eye) or binocular (both eyes), with patterns like hemianopia indicating lesion location (e.g., optic nerve for monocular loss, optic chiasm for bitemporal defects, or post-chiasmal for homonymous defects). Common causes include glaucoma (peripheral loss), stroke/tumors (homonymous hemianopia), retinal disorders (e.g., detachment causing curtain-like shadows), optic neuritis, or trauma; diagnosis relies on perimetry testing, and patterns help localize pathology—e.g., right optic tract damage causes left homonymous defects in both eyes.

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ETYMOLOGY of visual field defect

latin “Visual field” derives from Latin visus (sight) + English “field” (area of vision); “defect” from Latin deficere (to fail, desert). Combined, it literally means “failure in the area of sight,” with medical usage emerging in 19th-century ophthalmology to describe mapped vision losses via perimetry (from Greek perimetros, around measure).

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Related Terms

• hemianopia: Loss of half the visual field (homonymous: same side both eyes; bitemporal: outer halves; binasal: inner halves).
• Quadrantanopia: Loss of one quadrant (superior/inferior homonymous).
• Scotoma: Isolated blind spot (central, paracentral, or peripheral).
• Altitudinal defect: Upper/lower half loss (e.g., from ischemic optic neuropathy).
• Tunnel vision: Generalized peripheral constriction (e.g., glaucoma).

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CODING and NUANCES

ICD-10 Codes

Billable ICD‑10 Codes

(All valid ICD‑10‑CM codes)

Unspecified

• H53.40 — Unspecified visual field defects

Central Scotoma

• H53.411 — Scotoma involving central area, right eye
• H53.412 — Scotoma involving central area, left eye
• H53.413 — Scotoma involving central area, bilateral
• H53.419 — Scotoma involving central area, unspecified eye

Blind Spot Scotoma

• H53.421 — Scotoma of blind spot area, right eye
• H53.422 — Scotoma of blind spot area, left eye
• H53.423 — Scotoma of blind spot area, bilateral
• H53.429 — Scotoma of blind spot area, unspecified eye

Sector / Arcuate Defects

• H53.431 — Sector or arcuate defects, right eye
• H53.432 — Sector or arcuate defects, left eye
• H53.433 — Sector or arcuate defects, bilateral
• H53.439 — Sector or arcuate defects, unspecified eye

Other Localized Defects

• H53.451 — Other localized visual field defect, right eye
• H53.452 — Other localized visual field defect, left eye
• H53.453 — Other localized visual field defect, bilateral
• H53.459 — Other localized visual field defect, unspecified eye

Homonymous Bilateral Field Defects

• H53.461 — Homonymous bilateral field defects, right side
• H53.462 — Homonymous bilateral field defects, left side
• H53.469 — Homonymous bilateral field defects, unspecified side

Heteronymous Bilateral Field Defects

• H53.47 — Heteronymous bilateral field defects

Generalized Contraction

• H53.481 — Generalized contraction of visual field, right eye
• H53.482 — Generalized contraction of visual field, left eye
• H53.483 — Generalized contraction of visual field, bilateral
• H53.489 — Generalized contraction of visual field, unspecified eye

No specific CPT codes exist for “visual field defect” as a diagnosis; related procedures include:

• 92081: Visual field examination, unilateral or bilateral, with interpretation and report; limited examination (e.g., tangent screen).
• 92082: Visual field examination, unilateral or bilateral, with interpretation and report; intermediate examination (e.g., automated suprathreshold screening).
• 92133: Scanning computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging, posterior segment, with interpretation and report, unilateral or bilateral (for optic nerve/retina assessment).

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DERIVATIONS of visual field defect

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Query functionality

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Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms