OPTIC NEURITIS

What is Optic Neuritis?

Optic neuritis is a potentially blinding inflammatory condition affecting the optic nerve. It is the commonest cause of sudden visual loss in young adults.

What causes Optic Neuritis?

The most common setting is when the body’s own immune system attacks the covering around the optic nerve, called the myelin sheath, resulting in inflammation. The actual cause of the inflammation is unknown, although it is thought that a previous viral infection may be related. Occasionally, the inflammation may affect both optic nerves, or various sites within the brain substance.

How do I know if I have Optic Neuritis?

Symptoms of optic neuritis include sudden visual loss that progressively worsens over days up to 2 weeks, associated with pain on eye movements. Colour vision is typically markedly affected.

Will I recover my vision?

Over 90% of patients experience improvement in their vision. Vision may not always return totally to normal, for example, patients may be aware of a ‘grey patch’ in their vision that persists, or colours may not appear as bright as before the attack of optic neuritis.

What treatment is available for Optic Neuritis?

Most cases (92%) of optic neuritis will experience improvement with or without treatment. 

Am I at risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder affecting the brain and/or spinal cord. Optic neuritis may be the first indication of this condition. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain in patients with optic neuritis have been shown to be useful for predicting risk of developing multiple sclerosis. For example, the presence of brain lesions on MRI is associated with a higher risk of development of multiple sclerosis in the future compared to an absence of MRI brain lesions.

How can I prevent Multiple Sclerosis?

For patients with a first episode of optic neuritis and MRI evidence of inflammation in the brain, treatment with interferon beta-la initiated at the time of the optic neuritis has been shown to reduce the rate of conversion to multiple sclerosis. All patients who are found to have MRI evidence of brain inflammation are referred to a neurologist specialising in multiple sclerosis for full neurologic assessment.

Swollen right optic disc in a patient with bilateral optic neuritis	Swollen left optic disc in a patient with bilateral optic neuritis

Visual field defect in the same patient at the time of presentation	Left visual field defect in the same patient at the time of presentation

Resolution of right optic disc swelling in the same patient 2 weeks later	Resolution of left optic disc swelling in the same patient 2 weeks later

Please visit the following relevant links :-

Neuro-Ophthalmology Service
Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinical Staff
I Want an Eye Examination / an Appointment
Feedback