UREMIC OPTIC NEUROPATHY - A UREMIC MANIFESTATION MANDATING DIALYSIS

A 41-year-old male patient in end-stage renal failure presented on two occasions, over an 18-month period, with painless unilateral visual d eterioration and optic disc edema. Clinical findings were compatible w ith a diagnosis of uremic optic neuropathy. On his initial presentatio n, the patient refused the onset of dialysis, resulting in a permanent visual deficit of the left eye. On his subsequent admission with a si milar clinical picture, this time of the right eye, dialysis combined with corticosteroid therapy was promptly instituted. This led to a rap id improvement of the visual acuity and visual field defects of the ri ght eye concomitant with subsidence of the edema of the optic nerve he ad.