The Clinical Profile of Unilateral and Bilateral Optic Disc Swelling in a Tertiary Center in Northern Malaysia

Background Optic disc swelling (ODS) is a pathological condition with a variety of causes, including optic neuritis (ON), anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and papilledema. Determining the causes of ODS is critical due to the possibilities of vision- or life-threatening diseases, such as space-occupying lesions. This study aimed to investigate the clinical profile of unilateral and bilateral ODS in Penang Hospital, Malaysia. Methodology This retrospective, descriptive study was conducted in Penang Hospital. Medical records of patients who were diagnosed with ODS from June 2018 until June 2020 in Penang Hospital Eye Emergency Clinic were reviewed. We excluded patients who defaulted on subsequent three months of follow up and those with pseudo-ODS. Results ODS was diagnosed in 43 patients who were all included in the study. Majority were females 55.8% (n = 24), with age ranging from 16 to 78 years. ON contributed most (41.9%, n = 18), followed by non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) (34.9%, n = 15), and papilledema (9.3%, n = 4). Other causes (14%, n = 6) included diabetic papillitis (n = 1), hypertensive retinopathy (n = 1), and central retinal vein occlusion (n = 4). Poor mean initial visual acuity was seen in patients with ON (1.07 ± 0.68) and NA-AION (1.33 ± 0.67). ON showed better final visual outcomes compared to NA-AION at the one-year follow-up. Conclusions ON and NA-AION were identified as the two most common causes of ODS in Penang Hospital for both unilateral and bilateral presentations. Most cases presented with poor initial visual acuity. After one year of follow-up, good visual recovery was seen in ON cases compared to other cases. These results were comparable with studies conducted in other Asian counties.