Standardised echography in optic neuritis

A pilot echographic study was conducted to determine the incidence and severity of optic nerve swelling in acute 'idiopathic' optic neuritis and to examine cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the subarachnoid space, employing the method of standardised echography and the '30 degree test'. An attempt was made to correlate the degree of nerve swelling with the initial visual loss and with the rate and extent of recovery of vision. The visual function and echographic features of the optic nerve in 27 patients with the diagnosis of acute idiopathic optic neuritis were assessed with standardised echography. A significant increase in nerve diameter was found in 74% of cases. Nerve swelling was associated with more severe initial visual loss and a higher incidence of slow or incomplete visual recovery. The authors conclude that standardised echography is a useful tool in the diagnosis of optic neuritis and may play a role in predicting the visual outcome and in selecting patients likely to benefit most from medical or surgical nerve decompression.