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OPTIC NERVE ATROPHY

What is Optic Nerve Atrophy?

Optic nerve atrophy is the deterioration of the optic nerve due to damage, resulting in a loss of a few or most of the optic nerve fibres.

It can be caused by a number of reasons. Since this nerve is responsible for carrying visual signals from the eye to the brain.

Who Does Optic Nerve Atrophy Affect?

Optic nerve atrophy can affect any age group. The disorder affects less than 1% of the population and is slightly more prevalent in people from Africa.

How Does Optic Nerve Atrophy Occur?

Optic nerve atrophy occurs when optic nerve fibres sustain damage from a number of reasons, whether local or systemic.

This damage results in the loss of optic nerve fibres, reducing its ability to completely carry the visual information to the brain, resulting in visual loss.

Causes of Optic Nerve Atrophy

The causes of optic nerve atrophy include:
  • Poor blood flow. It is the most common reason, resulting in ischemic optic neuropathy.
  • Glaucoma
  • Certain diseases of the central nervous system and brain including Cranial (brain) tumours, temporal arteritis, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Idiopathic cases, where the cause for the atrophy cannot be determined.
  • Toxins (poisons), radiation and physical trauma can also damage to the optic nerve, leading to atrophy.
Optic nerve atrophy in children and young adults can also have hereditary causes. In these cases, the optic nerve fails to develop properly.

Symptoms of Optic Nerve Atrophy

Optic nerve atrophy results in varying symptoms from changes in vision to complete loss of vision. The most common symptoms include:
  • Reduced field of vision 
  • Dimming of vision
  • Blurring
  • Abnormal colour vision (faded colours)
  • Loss of fine detailed vision

How is Optic Nerve Atrophy Diagnosed?

The diagnosis for optic nerve atrophy is made by:
  • taking a complete medical history,
  • a physical examination, including a comprehensive eye exam. 
The eye exam will include 
  • ophthalmoscopic examination as well as testing pupils, 
  • colour vision tests, 
  • peripheral vision tests and 
  • assessment of visual acuity.
The doctor may also run other tests such as MRI of the brain and blood tests to determine other causative factors.

How is Optic Nerve Atrophy Treated?

Unfortunately, there is no treatment to reverse damage caused by optic nerve atrophy.

The main aim of therapy is to treat the underlying disease and prevent further progression of the vision loss.

What if Optic Nerve Atrophy is Untreated?

If the underlying disorder causing optic nerve atrophy is left untreated, vision loss will continue until blindness occurs.
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