Clinical Manifestations of Optic Neuritis

ABSTRACT

Optic neuritis is an acute inflammatory disease of the optic nerve. Visual loss in optic neuritis is typically sudden and accompanied visual field defects. We attempted to characterize the clinical manifestations of optic neuritis based on visual acuity and visual field changes. Eighteen patients were included in this study who completed at least 3 month follow-up. we observed these patients with no medication in ten, with oral prednisolone in seven and with intravenous methylprednisolone in one. Statistically significant visual recovery occurred at first and second month and twenty eyes of 27 eyes (74%) had improved o.5 or more. Most common type of visual field defect was central scotoma (74%) and 85% of eyes who showed abnormal visual fields at first visit recovered normal visual field during follow-up period.