Acute Retrobulbar Optic Neuritis with Hematologic Abnormalities

Si Yoon Park; Eun Min Kang; Yun Ha Lee; Chan Yun Kim; Gong Je Seong; Samin Hong

doi:10.3341/jkos.2014.55.10.1567

Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.55(10) > 1009824

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Park, Kang, Lee, Kim, Seong, and Hong: Acute Retrobulbar Optic Neuritis with Hematologic Abnormalities

Case Report

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2014;55(10):1567-1572.

Published online: 2 September 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2014.55.10.1567

Acute Retrobulbar Optic Neuritis with Hematologic Abnormalities

Si Yoon Park, MD, Eun Min Kang, MD, Yun Ha Lee, MD, Chan Yun Kim, MD, PhD, Gong Je Seong, MD, PhD, Samin Hong, MD, PhD

Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Address reprint requests to Samin Hong, MD, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, #50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea, Tel: 82-2-2228-3750, Fax: 82-2-312-0541 E-mail: samini@yuhs.ac

Received 21 June 2014 Revised 22 July 2014 Accepted 17 September 2014

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

We present a case of a patient with optic neuritis who had underlying suspicious idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Case summary

A 35-year-old female with no other systemic disease visited our clinic due to acutely decreased visual acuity in her left eye 10 days in duration. Relative afferent pupillary defect was observed, but without definite papilledema. Based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optic neuritis was suspected. Laboratory tests showed increased red blood cells, hemoglobin and, hematocrit levels and decreased platelets. Peripheral blood smear test showed decreased platelets, relative lymphocytosis and atypical lymphocytes. Specific antibodies for autoimmune disease were not present. High-dose steroid pulse therapy (methyl prednisolone 1.0 g/d, 3 days) was started. One month after treatment her visual acuity and platelet count recovered and her visual field defect improved.

Keywords: Autoimmune disease, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Multiple sclerosis, Neuromyelitis optica, Optic neuritis

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Figure 1.

At the first visit, disc photography revealed no definite disc swelling in her both eyes. (A) Right eye, (B) left eye.

Figure 2.

Decreased retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness at the inferotemporal area of her left eye in optical coherence tomography. (A) RNFL quadrants and clock hours maps, (B) RNFL deviation map and thickness. OD = right eye; ONH = optic nerve head; OS = left eye; OU = both eyes; TEMP = temporal; SUP = superior, NAS = nasal, INF = inferior, C/D = cup to disc ratio.

Figure 3.

(A) Humphrey visual field test shows almost total scotoma in her left eye before high dose methylprednisolone treatment. (B) After treatment, improvement of visual field test in her left eye was noted. POS = positive; NEG = negative; GHT = glaucoma hemifield test; VFI = visual field index; MD = mean deviation; PSD = pattern standard deviation.

Figure 4.

Brain magentic resonance image (MRI) with enhance T1 weighted MRI. Diffuse enhancement of the left optic nerve, cisternal segment, suspicious of optic neuritis or neuropathy. No abnormal signal intensity or abnormal mass lesion in the brain parenchyma (A: axial view; B: coronal view).

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