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The presentation, aetiology, management and outcome of optic neuritis in an Asian population
Author(s) -
Wang JennChyuan,
Tow Sharon,
Aung Tin,
Lim SuAnn,
Cullen James F
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
clinical and experimental ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.3
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1442-9071
pISSN - 1442-6404
DOI - 10.1046/j.1442-9071.2001.00442.x
Subject(s) - medicine , visual acuity , optic neuritis , etiology , rheumatoid arthritis , prednisolone , surgery , syphilis , presentation (obstetrics) , ophthalmology , multiple sclerosis , family medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , psychiatry
Purpose : To analyse the presentation, aetiology, management and outcome of patients with optic neuritis (ON) in Singapore. Methods : This was a retrospective study involving consecutive patients with ON presenting at the Singapore National Eye Centre between January 1997 and May 1999. The presenting features, investigations, treatment and visual outcome after 6 months were studied. Results : A total of 31 patients (39 eyes) presented with ON during this period, 17 of whom had anterior ON. No aetiology was found in 26 patients (83.9%), two patients (6.5%) had multiple sclerosis, one had active syphilis, one had rheumatoid arthritis and another had pan‐sinusitis. Seventeen patients (54.8%) were treated with intravenous methyl‐prednisolone followed by oral prednisolone. Within the follow‐up period 26 of 31 eyes (83.9%) with idiopathic ON attained visual acuity of 6/12 or better, with 12 (38.7%) recovering to 6/6 or better and only one eye ending with less than 6/60 visual acuity. The one patient with syphilis recovered 6/6 visual acuity bilaterally. Both patients with multiple sclerosis also had good visual recovery at 6 months. The visual outcome in those cases of ON associated with rheumatoid arthritis and pan‐sinusitis was poor with visual acuity of less than 6/60 at 6 months follow up in each instance. Conclusion : The majority of the cases of ON in this study were idiopathic. There was a low association with multiple sclerosis. Most patients had good visual recovery within 6 months.