DEFINITION

The optical neuritis is the sharp inflammation of the optical nerve that causes a sudden reduction of the vision in the affected eye.

CAUSES

The principal implied causes are the illnesses for autoimmunity (multiple sclerosis) and the viral infections. Both produce the inflammation of the nerve that in his exit of the skull turns out to be pressed hard losing the mielina sheath and loses his function that is the vision.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms are the derivatives of the function of the optical nerve, this way it appears:

• The loss of the vision in an eye in sudden form
• Loss of the vision of the colors
• Changes in the reactions of the pupil to the brilliant light
• Pain on having moved the eye

DIAGNOSIS

There is realized the proper study of the vision as of the possible causes of the inflammation:

• Study of the visual keenness
• Study of the chromatic vision
• Visualization of the optical disc by means of oftalmoscopia innuendo
• Nuclear magnetic resonance of the brain

TREATMENT The optical neuritis caused by viral illnesses can return alone to the normality after 2 to 3 weeks without treatment, with which the vision recovers. Sometimes corticoids are prescribed to accelerate the improvement. On the other hand the optical neuritis caused by multiple sclerosis or other autoimmune illnesses, like the systemic lupus eritematoso, has a discouraging prognosis. TO SEE ALSO Systemic Lupus eritematoso (THEY) Nuclear magnetic resonance

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