Optic Neuritis

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of optic neuritis may vary for each child. However, the most common symptom is sudden loss or decrease in vision, including blurred vision, dark vision, dim vision, or vision in which the contrast or colors seem diluted or "turned down." Another common symptom of optic neuritis is pain or discomfort in or around the eye that worsens with movement.

There is a strong connection between optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis (MS), another disorder associated with damage to the myelin covering. In 20 to 25 percent of patients with MS, optical neuritis was their first symptom. Further, the risk of developing MS increases steadily during the first 10 years after an initial onset of optical neuritis. However, not everyone with optic neuritis has or will develop MS.

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Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007