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.
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.