title: High-dose steroid therapy for idiopathic optic perineuritis: a case series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been reported that the prognosis of optic perineuritis may be poor when initiation of treatment is delayed. Here we report the successful treatment of three patients with idiopathic optic perineuritis, including two in whom initiation of therapy was delayed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three Japanese patients (two women aged 73 and 66 years, and one man aged 27 years) presented with loss of vision (for five months, several months, and two months respectively) and pain on eye movement in the third case only, and were diagnosed as having idiopathic optic perineuritis. Fat-suppressed T2-weighted magnetic resonance images showed high signal intensity areas around the affected optic nerves, suggesting the presence of optic perineuritis. Two patients received steroid pulse therapy and the third was given high-dose steroid therapy. The visual acuity improved in all three cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-dose steroid therapy may be effective for idiopathic perineuritis in patients without optic nerve atrophy, even if initial treatment (including moderate-dose steroids) has failed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yachiyo Medical Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 477-96, Owada-shinden, Yachiyo, Chiba 276-8524, Japan. nomahide@tymc.twmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatsugawa
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noma
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: Hideharu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Funatsu