title: Bilateral optic neuritis in a 26-year-old man with common variable immunodeficiency: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Common variable immunodeficiency encompasses a group of heterogeneous conditions linked by a lack of immunoglobulin production and primary antibody failure. Although primary immunodeficiencies are typically characterized by recurrent infections, autoimmune manifestations have increasingly been recognized. Neurological complications are extremely rare and to the best of our knowledge optic neuritis has not been described previously. We report the case of a patient with common variable immunodeficiency who developed loss of vision secondary to bilateral optic neuritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 26-year-old Caucasian man with a diagnosis of common variable immunodeficiency presented to our facility with loss of vision secondary to bilateral optic neuritis. Results of a thorough study for infectious, neoplastic and autoimmune diseases were negative. Our patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone with almost complete improvement and he remained asymptomatic at a 12-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bilateral optic neuritis should be added to the list of autoimmune disorders related to common variable immunodeficiency. If a patient with common variable immunodeficiency experiences loss of vision, the possibility of bilateral optic neuritis should be considered as rapid initiation of high-dose corticosteroids may improve visual recovery.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. aperezs@mac.com.
authors.forename: Angel P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sempere
authors.forename: Ml
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tahoces
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palao-Duarte
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Perez