Finite Element Modeling of Chiasmal Compression: Nearer to an Understanding of Bitemporal Hemianopia?

The precise mechanism of bitemporal hemianopia (BH) in the context of chiasmal compression is unknown. Previous theories have suggested that the blood supply of the crossing fibres is selectively compromised or that crossing fibres are vulnerable because they occupy the centre of the chiasm where the highest pressures occur. We have previously proposed that BH arises because crossing fibres are more vulnerable to compression simply because they cross each other. The current study used finite element modelling (FEM) to explore this question further.