New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bitemporal hemianopsia

Bitemporal hemianopsia (or Bitemporal hemianopia) is the medical description of a type of partial blindness where vision is missing in the outer half of both the right and left visual field. It is usually associated with lesions of the optic chiasm, the area where the optic nerves from the right and left eyes cross near the pituitary gland.

In bitemporal hemianopsia vision is missing in the outer (temporal or lateral) half of both the right and left visual fields. Information from the temporal visual field falls on the nasal (medial) retina. The nasal retina is responsible for carrying the information along the optic nerve, and crosses to the other side at the optic chiasm. When there is compression at optic chiasm the visual impulse from both nasal retina are affected, leading to inability to view the temporal, or peripheral, vision. This phenomenon is known as bitemporal hemianopsia. Knowing the neurocircuitry of visual signal flow through the optic tract is very important in understanding bitemporal hemianopsia.

Bitemporal hemianopsia most commonly occurs as a result of tumors located at the mid-optic chiasm. Since the adjacent structure is the pituitary gland, some common tumors causing compression are Pituitary adenomas, and Craniopharyngiomas. Also another relatively common neoplastic etiology is Meningiomas.

The absence of vision in half of a visual field is described as hemianopsia.

The visual field of each eye can be divided in two vertically, with the outer half being described as temporal, and the inner half being described as nasal.

"Bitemporal hemianopsia" can be broken down as follows:

bi-: involves both left and right visual fields

temporal: involves the temporal visual field

hemi-: involves half of each visual field

anopsia: blindness

Related Stories
 


Health & Medicine News

October 16, 2025

Scientists have found a way to transform hard-to-treat tumors into targets for the immune system. Using two protein stimulators, they activated strong T-cell and B-cell responses and built immune structures inside tumors that improved survival and ...
Long before humans built cities or wrote words, our ancestors may have faced a hidden threat that shaped who we became. Scientists studying ancient teeth found that early humans, great apes, and even Neanderthals were exposed to lead millions of ...
Johns Hopkins scientists uncovered microscopic “nanotube” channels that neurons use to transfer toxic molecules. While this process clears waste, it can also spread harmful proteins like amyloid-beta. Alzheimer’s-model mice showed more ...
Scientists discovered that lean pork builds muscle more effectively post-workout than high-fat pork, even with identical protein levels. Using advanced tracking techniques, they found that fat content blunted the body’s muscle-building response. ...
Korean researchers found that low-dose radiation therapy eased knee pain and improved movement in people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. The treatment, far weaker than cancer radiation, showed real benefits beyond placebo. With no side effects ...
Scientists discovered that specific nutrients in nematodes' diets activate stress defenses that keep their cells healthier over time. These RNAs prevent toxic protein buildup, promoting longevity and vitality. The worms fed with balanced diets lived ...
A new human liver organoid microarray developed by Cincinnati Children’s and Roche recreates immune-driven liver injury in the lab. Built from patient-derived stem cells and immune cells, it accurately models how genetics influence drug reactions. ...
Endurance exercise may train the immune system as much as the muscles. Older adults with decades of running or cycling had immune cells that functioned better and aged more slowly. Their inflammation levels were lower and their cells resisted ...
Researchers have synthesized enhanced vitamin K analogues that outperform natural vitamin K in promoting neuron growth. The new compounds, which combine vitamin K with retinoic acid, activate the mGluR1 receptor to drive neurogenesis. They also ...
Researchers at USC have created the first method to noninvasively measure microscopic blood vessel pulses in the human brain. Using advanced 7T MRI, they found these tiny pulsations grow stronger with age and vascular risk, disrupting the brain’s ...
Scientists at UC Irvine have found a way to potentially reverse age-related vision loss by targeting the ELOVL2 “aging gene” and restoring vital fatty acids in the retina. Their experiments in mice show that supplementing with specific ...
Groundbreaking Harvard research is exposing hidden energy failures inside brain cells that may drive major psychiatric conditions. By studying reprogrammed neurons, scientists are revealing how cellular metabolism shapes mood, thought, and ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:56 pm ET