Traumatic optic neuropathy

Abstract

Our concepts of optic nerve trauma and its treatment are evolving. Traditionally, optic nerve trauma was thought of as the syndrome of blunt force to the forehead causing visual loss, but iatrogenic injury is increasingly recognized as an important source of optic nerve trauma. Our understanding of this trauma as a type of brain injury is also evolving. For the past decade, it has been clinical dogma that high-dose methylprednisolone is beneficial in the treatment of optic nerve trauma. However, little clinical evidence has shown this to be the case, raising questions about whether methyprednisolone has any benefit in the treatment of optic nerve trauma. Increasingly, research in neuroprotection is thought to hold promise for the development of novel and effective treatments for optic nerve injury.