title: Continuing optic nerve atrophy following optic neuritis: a serial MRI study.
abstract: To investigate optic neuritis as a model for atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions we performed serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 10 patients with a history of optic neuritis using a fat saturated short-echo fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (sTE fFLAIR) sequence. The first study was performed a median of 19.5 months after the onset of optic neuritis and the second 1 year later. Using a computer-assisted contouring technique, a blinded observer calculated the mean area of the intro-orbital optic nerves. The mean area of affected optic nerves decreased over 1 year by 0.9 mm2 from 11.1 to 10.2 mm2 (p = 0.01). Poor visual acuity and decreased visual-evoked potential (VEP) amplitude were associated with atrophy. These findings suggest that atrophy is a feature of focal demyelinating lesions, it may evolve over several years, and may have functional significance. Optic neuritis provides a model to study the effect of inflammatory demyelination through the ability to accurately measure visual function and to visualize and measure the optic nerves using magnetic resonance imaging.
authors.affiliation: NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: C M H
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brierley
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brex
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: MacManus
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Scolding
authors.forename: D A S
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Compston
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D009896:Optic Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*