title: The presentation, aetiology, management and outcome of optic neuritis in an Asian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the presentation, aetiology, management and outcome of patients with optic neuritis (ON) in Singapore.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study involving consecutive patients with ON presentng at the Singapore National Eye Centre between January 1997 and May 1999. The presenting features, investigatons, treatment and visual outcome after 6 months were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 31 patents (39 eyes) presented with ON during this period, 17 of whom had anterior ON. No aetiology was found in 26 patients (83.9%), two patients (6.5%) had multiple sclerosis, one had active syphilis, one had rheumatoid arthritis and another had pan-sinusitis. Seventeen patients (54.8%) were treated with intravenous methyl-prednisolone followed by oral prednisolone. Within the follow-up period 26 of 31 eyes (83.9%) wth idiopathic ON attained visual acuity of 6/12 or better with 12 (38.7%) recovering to 6/6 or better and only one eye ending with less than 6/60 visual acuity. The one patient with syphilis recovered 6/6 visual acuity bilaterally. Both patients with multiple sclerosis also had good visual recovery at 6 months. The visual outcome in those cases of ON associated with rheumatoid arthritis and pan-sinusitis was poor with visual acuity of less than 6/60 at 6 months follow up in each instance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the cases of ON in this study were idiopathic. There was a low association with multiple sclerosis. Most patients had good visual recovery within 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore. jcwang@singnet.com.sg
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tow
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone