Changes in the retinal veins in acute optic neuritis

To investigate patients with acute optic neuritis (ON) for changes of the retinal veins.

Seventy-six patients with acute ON were extensively neuro-ophthalmologically examined.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) was found in 41 patients of whom 1 had periphlebitis retinae (PR) and 2 had venous sheathing (VS). Probable MS was found in 15 patients without prior symptoms of MS. One had PR and VS, and 2 had VS. Twenty patients had mono-symptomatic ON, none had retinal changes.

Changes of the retinal veins should alert the clinician to a probable diagnosis of MS. ON appears frequently as the initial symptom of MS. Our observation of VS in these patients suggest that clinically silent retinal disease activity had occurred prior to the ON.