The Status of the Unaffected Eye Is a Predictor of Short-Term Recovery in a Croatian Cohort of Patients With Monocular Optic Neuritis

Abstract

Aim: To define the clinical profile of patients with unilateral optic neuritis (ON) presented to our clinic and to identify baseline clinical features and demographic data associated with one-month visual acuity (VA) outcome. Methods: Patients with suspected ON referred to our clinic were consecutively assessed for inclusion between February 2017 and November 2019. VA was measured using Snellen charts. Clinical and demographic, baseline and after one-month follow-up data were analyzed in a multivariate model. Results: Overall, 71 patients were included, of which six were considered lost to follow-up. The median age was 50 years old (interquartile range 37-57 years old) and the female to male ratio was 3:1. 14.1 % had a severe attack and 83.1 % recovered completely one month after the diagnosis. Multivariate analysis of data from 65 patients showed that baseline VA of the affected eye (P=0.011) and fellow eye (P=0.015) were factors associated with VA of the affected eye at follow up. Conclusion: Our cohort was older, had a higher female to male ratio and on average, a less severe ON clinical presentation compared to reports from other countries. Baseline VA of both the affected and fellow eye are predictors of one-month VA recovery