Optic atrophy

Many people don’t know much about optic atrophy. In fact, optic atrophy is not the name of a disease at all. It is just a lesion of the retinal nerve caused by some disease. The occurrence of optic nerve atrophy brings great pain to patients. So what everyone wants to know is what causes optic atrophy and what are its symptoms.

Knowing the causes of neurological atrophy can help us prevent it. If we understand the symptoms of optic atrophy, we can get timely treatment when we find symptoms. Only early detection and early treatment can the disease be effectively treated. Let’s take a look at the causes and symptoms of optic atrophy.

Causes of Optic Atrophy

1. Primary optic atrophy

It is often caused by retrobulbar optic neuritis, hereditary optic neuropathy (Leber's disease), orbital tumor compression, trauma, neurotoxins, etc. These lesions occur behind the bulb.

2. Secondary optic atrophy

Common ones include papillitis, optic disc edema, retinal choroiditis, retinitis pigmentosa, central retinal membrane occlusion, quinine poisoning, ischemic optic disc disease, glaucoma, etc.

3. Caused by intracranial lesions

Intracranial inflammation, such as tuberculous meningitis or chiasmatic arachnoiditis, can cause descending optic atrophy. If the inflammation spreads to the optic disc, it can manifest as secondary optic atrophy. The increased intracranial pressure caused by intracranial tumors can cause papilledema and then form secondary optic atrophy.

The clinical manifestations of optic atrophy are mainly decreased vision and gray or pale optic disc. When the nerve fiber layer around the optic disc is damaged, a slit-shaped or wedge-shaped defect may appear. The former becomes darker, indicating exposure of the retinal pigment layer; the latter becomes redder, indicating exposure of the choroid. If the lesion occurs in the upper and lower edges of the optic disc, it is easier to identify because the nerve fiber layer in this area is particularly thickened. If the lesion is far away from the optic disc, it is difficult to find because the nerve fiber layer in these areas is thinner. Focal atrophy around the optic disc often indicates a lesion in the nerve fiber layer, which is caused by thinning of the nerve fiber layer in this area.

Now that we understand the causes and symptoms of optic atrophy, we must take precautions in our daily lives, and if we find any lesions, we must take preventive measures. Optic atrophy can be treated by treating the cause or by taking medication. Although it is impossible to cure the disease, we must have confidence and persist in treatment.