Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Acute Optic Neuritis

Measurement of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in optic atrophy eyes of patients with optic neuritis using optical coherence tomography

“…ONTT has established that the MRI findings at the time of presentation of ON is the strongest indicator of the development of MS. Data from Singapore [33], Taiwan [22], and Japan [32] have shown a lower prevalence of brain MRI abnormalities in ON compared to figures from the ONTT [3]. Only three of the 72 optic atrophy patients in the neuritis group had concurrent MS plaques or lesions within the brain during the entire research period.…”

“…Seventy-two optic atrophy patients (49 women and 23 men) with definite demyelinating optic neuritis history (the demyelinating optic neuritis diagnosis followed the criteria of Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial [3]) and traditional glucocorticoid treatment (intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisone), 47 patients with advanced POAG (31 women and 16 men), and 47 healthy subjects (31 women and 16 men) were enrolled in neuritis, POAG, and control group, respectively. One eye was chosen randomly in binocularly affected neuritis or POAG patients, as well as the healthy subjects.…”

“…Thirty-four patients were examined with cerebro-spinal fluid analysis and only two of them showed positive oligoclonal bands (OB). The patients were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis according to the 2005 revisions to the McDonald criteria [3].The eligible criteria for control subjects (healthy volunteers) included refractive error<± 1 diopter and 6/6 vision in both eyes with normal ophthalmic examination and visual field results. Exclusion criteria for all of the subjects were an age bellow 30 or above 60 years old, atypical presentation, refractive error>± 2 diopters, and a history of any other general or ocular disease [24,26].…”

New developments in the treatment of optic neuritis

“…Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain helps to stratify the risk of future inflammatory events, and is generally discussed with patients. If MRI shows radiological evidence of asymptomatic demyelination in the brain (Figure 1), which has been reported in 59% of patients presenting with isolated ON, 32 and 70% of clinically isolated syndromes in general, 33 then the risk of developing MS is higher. Visual recovery should be assessed one month after the acute episode.…”

Neuroimaging in neuroophthalmology

“…The Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial and the Controlled High-Risk Avonex Multiple Sclerosis study have found MR imaging changes to be of diagnostic and predictive value. 1 Combining an understanding of neuroophthalmological anatomy with proper imaging techniques provides a powerful method to detect lesions involving the afferent and efferent visual pathways. Precise documentation of the extent of injury within the nervous system is becoming increasingly important to assess and monitor the effect of neurological therapies.…”