Scintillating scotoma

What it means

A scintillating scotoma is a common visual aura that can precede a migraine, whereby a spot of flickering light near the center of the visual fields occurs. The spot prevents vision, and is thus termed scotoma. The scotoma can extend into one or more shimmering arcs of white or colored flashing lights.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category