title: Clinical features of retinal diseases masquerading as retrobulbar optic neuritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Managements of optic neuritis (ON) included high-dose corticosteroids or combined with systemic immunomodulatory agents. It was important to make a correct diagnosis of ON before initiation of treatment. The purpose of the study was to report and analyze the clinical features of retinal diseases in patients who were misdiagnosed as having retrobulbar ON.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of 26 patients (38 eyes) initially diagnosed with retrobulbar ON but were ultimately diagnosed with retinal or macular diseases. Data obtained from fundus examination, fluorescence fundus angiography (FFA), automated static perimetry, full-field electroretinogram (ffERG), multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight eyes of 26 patients were found to have misdiagnosis of retrobulbar ON, based on normal or slight abnormal fundus findings and abnormal visual evoked potentials (VEP). The mean age of the patients was 34 years and the correct diagnosis of the patients included acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR, 15 eyes, 14 patients), occult macular dystrophy (OMD, 8 eyes, 4 patients), cone or cone-rod dystrophy (10 eyes, 5 patients), acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMNR, 3 eyes, 2 patients), and cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR, 2 eyes, 1 patient).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When attempting to diagnose retrobulbar ON in clinical practice, it is crucial to carry out necessary examinations of the retinal function and morphology to decrease misdiagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University; Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing 100730, China (Email: jlbjlb@sina.com).
authors.forename: Li-Bin
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ce-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Timothy Y Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Ning-Li
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence