title: Baseline features of idiopathic optic neuritis as determined by a multicenter treatment trial in Japan. Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial Multicenter Cooperative Research Group (ONMRG).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An optic neuritis treatment trial was conducted at 30 clinical centers in Japan using the same protocol. Patient participation was based on: age range of 14-55 years; acute symptoms indicative of unilateral optic neuritis of unknown or demyelinating origin; visual symptoms of 14-day duration or less; relative afferent pupillary defect in affected eye; and normal or swollen optic disc of affected eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initially, 102 patients qualified for participation; baseline data were obtained for analysis from 70 of these patients. Demographic characteristics of Japanese patients with optic neuritis were clarified and compared with those in a US study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The incidence of ocular or periocular pain and the presence of periventricular plaques were noted to be lower, and the incidence of disc swelling higher, in the Japanese patients, suggesting racial differences in the characteristics of the disease. Such differences may possibly be related to the lower incidence of multiple sclerosis in Japanese patients. The results of visual function tests were virtually the same in both studies. The nonaffected eyes of more than half the patients showed abnormal mean deviation in Humphrey field analysis, as also noted in the US study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The baseline clinical features of optic neuritis in the Japanese patients have been defined. Some racial differences in the characteristics of the disease may exist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakakura
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Minei-Higa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oono
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shikishima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tazawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiyosawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yago
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields