title: Isolated bilateral anterior optic neuritis following chickenpox in an immunocompetent adult.
abstract: Chickenpox may lead to several different neurological complications, but optic neuritis has rarely been described; in particular, only one case of isolated bilateral anterior optic neuritis (AON) in an immune-competent adult has so far been reported. We describe a second case of this type and consider similarities and differences between our patient and all other cases of AON following chickenpox. Then, we discuss the therapeutic role of steroids and advance the hypothesis of different pathogenetic pathways in immune-competent and immune-compromised subjects.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Section, Department of Neurosciences, University of Milan Bicocca S. Gerardo Hospital, Via Donizetti 106, I-20052, Monza (MI), Italy. galbuz@libero.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galbussera
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tagliabue
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frigo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Apale
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Appollonio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000502:physiology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology