Optic neuritis

An inflammatory neuropathy of the optic nerve, typically causing acute unilateral painful visual loss, reduced color vision (dyschromatopsia), decreased visual acuity, and characteristic visual field defects due to inflammation and demyelination of the optic nerve.

Causes

• Demyelinating and autoimmune causes

  • Multiple sclerosis

  • Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

  • Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD)

  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

  • Sarcoidosis

• Viral infections causing optic nerve inflammation

  • Measles

  • Mumps

  • Rubella

  • Varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox/shingles)

  • Herpes simplex virus

  • Viral encephalitis

• Bacterial and other infectious causes

  • Sinusitis with orbital or optic nerve involvement

  • Syphilis

  • Tuberculosis

  • Meningitis

  • Lyme disease

• Inflammatory and granulomatous causes

  • Sarcoid optic neuropathy

  • Granulomatous inflammation involving the optic nerve sheath

  • Vasculitic disorders affecting optic nerve blood supply

• Other causes

  • Drug-induced inflammatory optic neuropathy (rare)

  • Post-vaccination immune-mediated optic neuritis (rare)

  • Paraneoplastic autoimmune optic neuropathy (rare)