LEBERS HEREDITARY OPTIC NEUROPATHY TRIGGERED BY OPTIC NEURITIS

We observed a 32-year-old man with repeated bilateral optic papillitis followed by permanent visual loss. The patient had mitochondrial poin t mutation at nucleotide 11778. Fluorescein angiogram showed dye leaka ge from each disc at the onset. Following the fourth visual loss, no d ye leakage at the disc characterized by circumpapillary microangiopath y could be detected. The patient and the family members examined had t he 11778 mutation. Optic neuritis, an ocular disorder, may possibly be an extramitochondrial risk factor for the onset of LHON.