title: Transorbital Sonography and Visual Outcome for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Optic Neuritis.
abstract: Transorbital sonography (TOS) is a promising tool to support the clinical diagnosis of optic neuritis (ON) by showing thickening of optic nerve. In this study, we aimed to define its specific role in follow-up of ON patients.
  
  
  
  We measured ultrasonography parameters and visual acuity (VA) at presentation and after 1 year in 45 patients with newly diagnosed ON. Two vascular sonographers used B-mode TOS to evaluate mean optic nerve diameter (OND) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD).
  
  
  
  Median ONSD values were significantly thicker in patients with ON in the affected eye (6.4 mm, interquartile range [IQR]: 6.0-6.9) at presentation compared with the nonaffected side (5.7 mm; IQR: 5.2-6.1) (P < .001). The median OND was not significantly thicker at presentation in the affected eye (3.0 mm; IQR: 2.9-3.4) compared with the fellow eye (2.9 mm; IQR: 2.8-3.2) (P = .09). Logarithmic VA was significantly compromised at presentation in the affected eye (.16; IQR: .00-.55) compared with fellow eye (.00; IQR: .00-.00) (P < .001). After 1 year, no significant difference (P ≥ .05) was found between ONSD or OND of the affected side compared with the nonaffected side. VA improved in most of the patients but remained significantly impaired in affected eye after 1 year.
  
  
  
  TOS is a useful tool to support diagnosis of ON. This technique seems to have less value to evaluate atrophy of the optic nerve after 12 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany.|Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Neurology, University of Piemonte Orientale ''A. Avogadro'', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Piergiorgio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lochner
authors.affiliation: SC Neurologia, Dept of Medical Sciences, IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza", San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fassbender
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Neurology, University of Piemonte Orientale ''A. Avogadro'', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cantello
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Neurology, University of Piemonte Orientale ''A. Avogadro'', Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coppo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Orthoptic Service, Hospital of Merano, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zorzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lesmeister
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Neurology, University of Piemonte Orientale ''A. Avogadro'', Novara, Italy.|Interdisciplinary Research Center of Autoimmune Diseases, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristoforo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Comi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement. Section of Clinical Neurology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brigo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009915:Orbit / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Optic nerve sheath diameter; optic disc elevation; optic nerve diameter; optic neuritis; transorbital sonography; visual acuity