title: Bilateral postinfectious optic neuritis and intravenous steroid therapy in children.
abstract: Six patients presented with acute, simultaneous, bilateral optic neuritis. Five of the six patients admitted to a recent history of a brief upper respiratory or gastrointestinal illness, presumably viral in nature. Visual acuity was severely reduced in all patients. Five of the six patients also demonstrated marked neurologic deficits, including seizure activity and cerebellar dysfunction. Three patients demonstrated enhancing intracranial lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) consistent with demyelinative plaques, whereas lumbar puncture was abnormal in three patients. HLA tissue typing was performed on five of the six patients. All patients were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone, followed by a 2-month tapering course of oral prednisone. Each patient experienced a rapid and nearly complete recovery of vision during treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma, Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City 73104.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Farris
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pickard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D011241:Prednisone; D008775:Methylprednisolone