[A retrospective study of patients with epidemic optic neuropathy in a health area]

The sample of 104 patients who were diagnosed optic epidemic neuropathy at the health area of the "Rampa" Polyclinic in 1993 was reviewed. 50 of them were studied again. Visual acuity as well as the sensitivity to contrast by the Pelli Robson's method were explored. Ishihara's color-vision test was applied and an ophthalmological examination including fundus of the eye was made. All this was done by a group of experts who were searching temporary papillary paleness or lost of the bundles of papillomacular fibres, which are the diagnostic elements of the disease even in those cases that recover vision. 21 (42%) of the 50 studied patients fulfilled the criteria established for these cases by the Ministry of Public Health concerning visual acuity and color vision to diagnose optic epidemic neuropathy, although only 14 (28%) were ratified as cases. The typical alterations of the fundus of the eye were described, confirming the diagnosis. Cases were classified according to the initial state of visual acuity and to evolution. 3 had had an affectation of the visual acuity of 0.1 or worse (severe), and only one patient had a mild affectation with 0.8 of vision. The rest ranged between 0.2 and 0.6. Only one patient had a serious sequela. The low percentage of cases ratified as optic epidemic neuropathy does not represent what happened in the whole country, but it may be considered as a pattern of what took place at those units with the same conditions during the peak of the epidemic.