A double-blind, randomized trial of IV immunoglobulin treatment in acute optic neuritis

To investigate if IV immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in the acute phase of optic neuritis (ON) could improve visual outcome and reduce MRI disease activity 6 months after onset of ON.

Sixty-eight patients with ON were randomized within 4 weeks from onset of symptoms. Thirty-four patients were randomized to IVIG 0.4 g/kg body wt, and 34 patients were randomized to placebo. Infusions were given at days 0, 1, 2, 30, and 60. Contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, and color vision were measured at baseline and after 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months. Pattern reversal visual evoked potential studies and gadolinium-enhanced MRI were performed at baseline and after 1 and 6 months. Clinical relapses during follow-up were recorded.

There was no difference in the primary outcome, contrast sensitivity after 6 months, between patients randomized to treatment with IVIG or placebo. In addition, there was no significant difference in the secondary outcome measures, improvement in the visual function measures and MRI, at any time during follow-up. At baseline, a significantly higher number of patients in the IVIG group had one or more enhancing lesions on MRI and IVIG-treated patients had a significantly higher number of enhancing lesions on MRI than patients treated with placebo. No difference was found in number of patients with one or more enhancing lesions or number of enhancing lesions in subsequent scans between treatment groups. Number of relapses was equal in the two treatment groups during follow-up.

There was no effect of IV immunoglobulin (IVIG) on long-term visual function following acute optic neuritis, nor was there an effect of IVIG treatment in reducing latency on visual evoked potentials and thus preserving function of axons of the optic nerve.