Bilateral Optic Neuritis Following Measles

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We report a case of bilateral optic neuritis without encephalomyelitis, following measles that has recently spread in our country. METHODS: Nine-year-old male patient diagnosed as measles based on the typical symptoms and serum IgM positivity complained of sudden decrease in visual acuity of both eyes (FC/50 Cm in both eyes). Bilateral afferent pupillary defect were detected and visual evoked potentials show the delayed P100 latency and the decreased amplitude in both eyes. We diagnosed his case as the bilateral optic neuritis and treated with the high dose steroid therapy. RESULTS: At 2 months after visual loss, the afferent pupillary defect disappeared and the visual evoked potentials returned to normal. At 6 month, the visual acuity of the right and left eyes improved to 0.9 and 1.0, respectively. CONCLUSION: Optic neuritis following measles is a rare entity, and it is the first time such a case has been reported in Korea. This is a rare case where optic neuritis occurred without the symptoms or signs of encephalitis. In this study, we diagnosed and treated the first case of optic neuritis following measles in korea, with satisfactory results.