title: Clinical spectrum of tuberculous optic neuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tuberculous optic neuropathy may follow infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or administration of the bacille Calmette-Guerin. However, this condition is not well described in the ophthalmic literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ophthalmologists, identified through professional electronic networks or previous publications, collected standardized clinical data relating to 62 eyes of 49 patients who they had managed with tuberculous optic neuropathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tuberculous optic neuropathy was most commonly manifested as papillitis (51.6 %), neuroretinitis (14.5 %), and optic nerve tubercle (11.3 %). Uveitis was an additional ocular morbidity in 88.7 % of eyes. In 36.7 % of patients, extraocular tuberculosis was present. The majority of patients (69.4 %) had resided in and/or traveled to an endemic area. Although initial visual acuity was 20/50 or worse in 62.9 % of 62 eyes, 76.7 % of 60 eyes followed for a median of 12 months achieved visual acuities of 20/40 or better. Visual field defects were reported for 46.8 % of eyes, but these defects recovered in 63.2 % of 19 eyes with follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual recovery from tuberculous optic neuropathy is common, if the diagnosis is recognized and appropriate treatment is instituted. A tuberculous etiology should be considered when evaluating optic neuropathy in persons from endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, 3375 SW Terwilliger Boulevard, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Sivakumar R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Rathinam
authors.forename: Annabelle A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tow
authors.forename: Harry
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authors.lastname: Petrushkin
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Soon-Phaik
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guex-Crosier
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.forename: Ilknur
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tugal-Tutkun
authors.forename: Emmett T
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authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Jacqueline A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Leavitt
authors.forename: Ahmad M
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authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Winthrop
authors.forename: William L
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authors.lastname: Hills
authors.forename: Justine R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Smith