|
 |
|||||||||||
Optic AtrophyDefinition/EpidemiologyOptic Atrophy is a term that refers to an optic nerve that has been damaged and will not recover. Ocular Symptoms and SignsVisual loss may be acute (sudden), chronic, subacute (in between) or unrecognized. It is not unusual to identify optic atrophy with the associated optic nerve pallor, nerve fiber loss and visual field defects in patients with multiple sclerosis and no specific memory of an acute event. Chronic compression from thyroid eye disease, optic nerve tumors, hyperostosis (excess bone growth) of the optic canal or other intracranial processes can cause slowly progressive visual loss without a specific starting point. DiagnosisOptic atrophy is NOT a diagnosis; the cause of the pallor and/or cavitation (cupping) must be sought. Posterior ischemic optic neuropathy is defined as an optic neuropathy without optic disc swelling that evolves into optic nerve pallor over 3-4 weeks. The differential diagnosis includes temporal arteritis, traumatic optic neuropathy or optic nerve stroke due to coma and hypotension. Retrobulbar neuritis is multiple sclerosis until proven otherwise. ManagementManagement is based on treating the cause of the optic atrophy
|
