title: Visual outcomes in pediatric optic neuritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the visual outcomes of a large cohort of pediatric patients presenting to a tertiary care pediatric hospital with first-episode optic neuritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, observational cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a tertiary care pediatric hospital, patients with first-episode optic neuritis and at least 3 months of follow-up over a 10-year period were assessed and followed-up in the ophthalmology department. The main outcome measures were visual acuity at 3 months and 1 year of follow-up, with analysis of risk factors for poor visual outcomes and the time course of visual recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 59 pediatric patients with first-episode optic neuritis, 46 had at least 3 months of follow-up and 36 had at least 1 year of follow-up. The mean age was 12.6 years old; 72% were female, 41% had bilateral involvement, 52% had or developed an underlying diagnosis (39% multiple sclerosis, 7% acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, 7% neuromyelitis optica), and 91% received treatment (85% steroids, 7% multimodal). At 1 year, 81% were at least 20/20 and 89% were at least 20/40. A poor visual outcome at 1 year (<20/40) was associated with vision of <20/20 at 3 months (P = 0.041). Other clinical characteristics, including visual acuity at presentation, sex, bilateral involvement, optic nerve edema, and underlying diagnoses were not significantly associated with poor visual outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cohort of pediatric patients with optic neuritis, the majority of patients regained normal visual acuity at 1 year, regardless of baseline clinical characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Olumuyiwa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adebona
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Leslie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: Gena.Heidary@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Gena
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heidary
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity