Optic Nerve Lesions

Optic Nerve Lesions

·        Optic atrophy: pallor of the optic disk, and damage to the retinal nerve layer, optic nerve or tract leading to ¯visual acuity or field loss. Due to neuritis, compression, ischaemia, glaucoma

·        Optic Neuritis: Age 18 – 40, more common in women. Pain on movement of eye, with central fog patch, colour desaturation. Worsens over hours to days, may lose sight completely, gradually improves over 4 – 6 weeks. 70% chance of developing MS over 10 years

·        Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy: Sudden painless unilateral visual loss in an older person. Seldom improves. Due to occlusion of the arterioles to the optic nerve head

·        Compressive Optic neuropathy: insidious loss of central vision in one eye, especially colour. Usually meningioma of optic nerve