Evaluation of the etiological factors in acute optic neuropathy

• Author Details:   
• Surendra Singh Kanshana
• Vivek Som
• Kanchan Singh
• Haresh Bansal ^*
• Harpal Singh
• Sonika Gupta

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Objectives: To evaluate the etiological factors in patients of acute optic neuropathy reporting to tertiary care centre and to assess the sensitivity of various tests for optic neuropathy.

Materials and Methods: All the patients selected were subjected to detailed ocular examination which included best corrected visual acuity, pupillary reaction, colour vision, visual evoke potential, Visual field assessment and CT & MRI. After ocular and systemic examination and relevant investigations the underlying etiological diagnosis of acute optic neuropathy was established.

Results: A total of 30 patients with acute optic neuropathy presenting in the tertiary care centre during the study period out of which majority of the patients with acute optic neuropathy, that is, 43.3% had optic neuritis as their etiology, followed by 36.7% cases who had traumatic optic neuropathy. Only 20% cases had AION as a cause for acute optic neuropathy.

Conclusion: The present study concludes that optic neuritis is most important cause for acute optic neuropathy. VEP is most important test to detect and confirm optic neuropathy. NAION is associated with a poor visual outcome in spite of timely intervention with corticosteroids.

Keywords: Acute optic neuropathy, Traumatic optic neuropathy, Acute ischemic optic neuropathy, Optic neuritis.