13.6 Painful optic neuritisHartmut Gobel2018-02-06T12:41:10+00:00
Previously used term:
Retrobulbar neuritis.
Description:
Pain behind one or both eyes caused by demyelination of the optic nerve(s) and accompanied by impairment of central vision.
Diagnostic criteria:
- Unilateral or bilateral retro-orbital, orbital, frontal and/or temporal pain fulfilling criterion C
- Clinical, electrophysiological, imaging and/or laboratory evidence confirming optic neuritis1
- Evidence of causation demonstrated by both of the following:
- pain has developed in temporal relation to the optic neuritis
- pain is aggravated by eye movement
- Not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis.
Note:
Gadolinium-enhanced MRI shows optic nerve enhancement in 90% of cases of 13.6 Painful optic neuritis.
Comments:
Clinical series report the prevalence of pain in optic neuritis to be about 90%. Pain may precede impairment of vision.
13.6 Painful optic neuritis is often a manifestation of multiple sclerosis.