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Optic Atrophy

Optic Atrophy



Overview

What is optic atrophy?

Optic atrophy is a condition that affects the cells of your optic nerve, which carries impulses from your eye to your brain. “Atrophy” means to waste away or deteriorate. Optic nerve atrophy is another name for optic atrophy, and it’s a serious condition.

Atrophy of the optic nerve is a condition that happens because of long-term damage to optic nerve fibers from many different causes. Optic atrophy can cause irreversible issues with vision, including blindness.

Symptoms

Optic atrophy symptoms relate to changes in vision, including:

Blurred vision or a reduction in sharpness of vision.

Difficulties with peripheral vision.

Difficulties with color vision.

Causes

Nerve fibers that transmit impulses to your brain make up your optic nerve. In the case of optic atrophy, something is interfering with your optic nerve’s ability to transmit these impulses. Many factors can cause this interference, including:

Lack of proper blood flow (vascular/ischemia): This is the most common cause of optic nerve atrophy.

Conditions that you’re born with or inherit (congenital): One condition, Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, causes you to lose vision in one eye first and then the other.

Pressure from outside (extrinsic compression) and inside the nerve (intrinsic compression): The pressure can come from tumors. Glaucoma can damage your optic nerve and sometimes includes high eye pressure (intraocular pressure).

Damage from inflammation, either from other diseases or swelling in the optic nerve itself: One cause is optic neuritis, which is inflammation of your optic nerve. Another is hydrocephalus, or fluid collection in your brain.

Damage from infections: These infections can include diseases like syphilis and measles.

Trauma (eye injury): Eye injuries can happen in many ways, including industrial or car accidents, sports or fighting.

Damage from diseases of the retina: Retinal diseases include diabetes-related retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion.

Damage from toxins, nutritional deficits or medications: Optic nerve atrophy from these causes usually affects both eyes.

Is optic atrophy contagious?

You can’t catch optic atrophy from anyone, but many types of infections can cause the condition. These infections include:

Syphilis.

Measles.

Tuberculosis.

Mumps.

Chickenpox.

Lyme disease.

Aspergillosis.

Cryptococcosis.

What are the complications of optic atrophy?

Optic atrophy can’t be reversed. The major complication is loss of vision, or blindness.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is optic atrophy diagnosed?

It’s important to see an eye care specialist if you have any vision issues. They’ll begin by asking questions about your symptoms and your medical history. They may ask about what you eat, drink and what drugs or medications you take, including supplements. Then, they’ll do an eye exam.

What tests will be done to diagnose optic atrophy?

During testing, your provider will use an ophthalmoscope to look at your eyes. With optic atrophy, there are cell changes that providers can see, along with a paleness to your optic disc. The lack of color is related to blood flow changes in optic atrophy.

Your provider, who may also be looking for things like multiple sclerosis or tumors, may rely on other tests like these:

Optical coherence tomography.

Visual field tests.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Fluorescein angiography.

Ultrasound.

Blood tests.

Treatment

How is optic atrophy treated?

There’s no real cure or treatment for optic atrophy. This is why it’s so important to have regular eye exams and to see your healthcare provider right away for vision changes.

Your provider will need to treat the cause of the optic atrophy to stop the condition from getting worse. For instance, they may need to remove a tumor or remove fluid from your brain and spinal cord.

Type of Doctor Department : A Neuro-Ophthalmologist

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