MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Optic neuritis

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Optic neuritis

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Definition Causes, incidence, and risk factors Symptoms Signs and tests	Treatment Expectations (prognosis) Complications Calling your health care provider

Illustrations

External and internal eye anatomy

Definition Return to top

Optic neuritis involves inflammation of the optic nerve, which may cause sudden, partial loss of vision in the affected eye.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

The cause of optic neuritis is unknown. Sudden inflammation of the optic nerve (the nerve connecting the eye and the brain) leads to swelling and destruction of its outer shell, called the myelin sheath. The inflammation may occasionally be the result of a viral infection or it may be caused by autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Risk factors are related to the possible causes.

Symptoms Return to top

Acute loss of vision in one eye
Loss of color vision
Pain on movement of the eye
Decreased constriction of the pupil of the affected eye in bright light

Signs and tests Return to top

A complete medical examination is usually used to rule out associated diseases. Tests may include the following:

Visual acuity testing
Color vision testing
Visualization of the optic disc by indirect ophthalmoscopy
MRI of the brain to test for multiple sclerosis

Treatment Return to top

Visual acuity often returns to normal within two to three weeks with no treatment.

Intravenous corticosteroid therapy may accelerate visual recovery but may be associated with systemic side effects. Oral corticosteroid therapy may increase the risk of recurrence and is seldom used for initial therapy. It may be used after initial intravenous corticosteroid therapy.

Further tests may be needed to determine the cause of the neuritis, and the condition causing the problem would then be treated.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

Optic neuritis without underlying disease such as multiple sclerosis has a good prognosis for recovery. Optic neuritis resulting from multiple sclerosis, or other autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosis, is associated with a poorer prognosis.

Complications Return to top

Systemic side effects of therapy
Vision loss

About 20% of patients with a first episode of optic neuritis will develop multiple sclerosis

Calling your health care provider Return to top

Call your health care provider immediately if sudden loss of vision in one eye occurs.

If you have optic neuritis, call your health care provider if vision decreases, pain in the eye develops, or if symptoms do not improve with treatment.

Update Date: 12/22/2002

Updated by: Raymond S. Douglas M.D., Ph.D. Department of Ophthalmology, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.