title: [Bilateral visual deterioration in excessive tobacco and alcohol consumption].
abstract: A 33-year-old patient with a history of excessive alcohol and tobacco abuse for years presented with bilateral painless deterioration of vision in the last 3 months. Examination revealed the initial phase of bilateral optic nerve atrophy. In cases like this a purely clinical discrimination between Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and tobacco-alcohol neuropathy can be very challenging. In this case LHON could be confirmed by genetic analysis. Visual and neurological outcomes differ for different mutations. Therapy with idebenone, a derivate of coenzyme Q, seems to be promising at least in selected patient groups.
authors: Klinikum Saarbrücken, Saarbrücken, Deutschland. maria.cyrus@nexgo.de
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Cyrus-Hajmassy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009896:Optic Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*