Via practica 4/2019
Differential diagnosis of optic neuritis
Optic neuritis is an acute inflammatory disorder of optic nerve. It manifests itself usually as subacute, unilateral and painful visual loss, one-third of patients may have a mildly edematous optic disc. Optic neuritis is often associated with multiple sclerosis as its first presenting symptom in 30 % of patients. High dose intravenous corticosteroids speed recovery of affected vision, but do not improve the final outcome. The diagnosis of optic neuritis plays an important role in clinical practice. Typical optic neuritis involves multiple sclerosis and idiopathic optic neuritis. Atypical forms must be distinguished because they require special management and treatment. This article informs about optic neuritis, its clinical presentation and a special focus on differential diagnosis.
Keywords: optic neuritis, multiple sclerosis, typical and atypical optic neuritis
