[Steroids for optic nerve diseases?].

Diseases of the optic nerve are the third most common cause of blindness in Germany. Common optic nerve diseases include optic nerve neuritis and traumatic optic neuropathy. These diseases are often treated with steroids. In the case of traumatic optic neuropathy, recent results indicate that such treatment is not of value, and can even be dangerous due to the side effects if the doses are high. Based on current results, the value of high dose steroid treatment for optic nerve neuritis is also questionable.