Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 2001 Oct;29(5):312-5
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 presentng at the Singapore National Eye Centre between January
1997 and May 1999. The presenting features, investigatons, treatment and
visual outcome after 6 months were studied.
RESULTS:
A total of 31 patents (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%) wth 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.
PMID: 11720158 [PubMed - in process]
Wang JC, Tow S, Aung T, Lim SA,
Cullen JF.
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.