Axonal loss after traumatic optic neuropathy documented by optical coherence tomography
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026
Dynamic Visual Tests to Identify and Quantify Visual Damage and Repair Following Demyelination in Optic Neuritis Patients
Published on: April 14, 2014
Felipe A Medeiros1, Frederico C Moura, Roberto M Vessani
1Glaucoma Service, Department of Ophthalmology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. fmedeiros@uol.com.br
Purpose:
To report longitudinal retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a patient with traumatic optic neuropathy.
Design:
Observational case report.
Methods:
A 14-year-old boy with severe optic nerve trauma had repeated OCT scans of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer at 3 days, 20 days, 40 days, and 70 days after injury.
Results:
There was gradual loss of nerve fibers as shown by the OCT color-coded map, RNFL thickness profile, and RNFL thickness measurements around the optic disk. At 70 days of follow-up, severe thinning of the RNFL was observable.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that OCT is able to assess and monitor axonal loss after traumatic optic neuropathy.
