Treatment options for atypical optic neuritis

Document Type

Article

Abstract

CONTEXT: Optic neuritis (ON) is defined as inflammation of the optic nerve and can have various etiologies. The most common presentation in the US is demyelinating, or "typical" ON, usually associated with multiple sclerosis. This is in contrast to "atypical" causes of ON, which differ in their clinical presentation, management, and prognosis. These atypical cases are characterized by lack of eye pain, exudates, and hemorrhages on exam, very severe, bilateral or progressive visual loss, or with failure to recover vision. AIMS: The aim was to describe the clinical presentations of atypical ON and their treatments. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Review article. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: Types of atypical ON identified include neuromyelitis optica, autoimmune optic neuropathy, chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuropathy, idiopathic recurrent neuroretinitis, and optic neuropathy associated with systemic diseases. Atypical ON usually requires corticosteroid treatment and often will require aggressive immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike demyelinating ON, atypical ON requires treatment to preserve vision.

Medical Subject Headings

Humans; Multiple Sclerosis (complications); Optic Nerve (pathology); Optic Neuritis (diagnosis, etiology); Prognosis; Recurrence; Visual Acuity

Publication Date

10-1-2014

Publication Title

Indian journal of ophthalmology

E-ISSN

1998-3689

Volume

62

Issue

10

First Page

982

Last Page

4

PubMed ID

25449930

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.4103/0301-4738.145986

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