ULTRASONOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION OF OPTIC NEURITIS

A pilot echographic study was conducted to determine the incidence and severity of optic nerve swelling in acute 'idiopathic' optic neuritis and to examine cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the subarachnoid space , employing the method of standardised echography and the '30 degrees test'. An attempt was made to correlate the degree of nerve swelling w ith the initial visual loss and with the rate and extent of recovery o f vision, The visual function and echographic features of the optic ne rve in 27 patients with the diagnosis of acute optic neuritis were ass essed with standardised echography, A significant increase in nerve di ameter was found in 74% of cases. There was a correlation between nerv e swelling and the severity of initial visual loss. The authors conclu de that standardised echography is a useful tool in the diagnosis of o ptic neuritis and may play a role in predicting the visual outcome.