Clinical spectrum of first episode of optic neuritis in a tertiary care hospital in Southern India – A retrospective analysis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the demographic and clinical patterns of optic neuritis (ON) in patients presenting to a tertiary health-care institute and to study the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS), magnetic resonance imaging features in varied ON, treatment outcome, and prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with first episode of ON presenting to a tertiary care center during the period from March 2013 to March 2021 was done. Details of ocular examination were retrieved from medical records and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-four participants with ON were included in this study. The mean age was 40.25 ± 12.2 years. The male: female ratio was 1:1.35. 48.1% had visual acuity of <3/60. Based on clinical presentation, papillitis was seen in 31.5% of subjects, neuroretinitis in 24.1%, and retrobulbar neuritis in 44.4%. Based on etiology, 79.6% were idiopathic, 1.8% presented with infectious ON, and 9.26% were associated with demyelinating disease (MS). CONCLUSION: Females were predominantly affected. Idiopathic ON formed the major subset etiologically. Sixty-six percent had visual recovery of 6/18 or better following corticosteroid therapy. 9.2% revealed multiple intracranial lesions on neuroimaging, suggesting high association with MS. Therefore, early diagnosis, vigilant monitoring of steroid therapy, and regular follow-up screening for MS remain the mainstay of management in ON.