title: Bilateral optic neuritis originating in a single chiasmal lesion. A case report.
abstract: A case of bilateral retrobulbar optic neuritis with profound visual loss is described. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with fat-saturation suppression and gadolinium enhancement done 15 days after the onset of symptoms demonstrated bilateral posterior optic nerve disease in a pattern similar to that seen in previously reported cases. However, subsequent retrospective review of an MRI study done at a different hospital during the first week of disease demonstrated a single focus of gadolinium enhancement within the body of the chiasm. This observation suggests that bilateral demyelination of the posterior optic nerves may begin as a single focus of chiasmal disease that then spreads to involve the proximal portions of the optic nerves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Soltau
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009897:Optic Chiasm / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology