Corticosteroids for treating optic neuritis

Optic neuritis is an inflammatory disease of the optic nerve. It occurs more commonly in women than in men. Usually presenting with an abrupt loss of vision, recovery of vision is almost never complete. Closely linked in pathogenesis to multiple sclerosis, it may be the initial manifestation for this condition. In certain patients, no underlying cause can be found.

To assess the effects of corticosteroids on visual recovery of patients with acute optic neuritis.

We searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (issue 4, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to December 2005), EMBASE (1980 to January 2006), NNR (issue 4, 2006), LILACS and reference lists of identified trial reports.

We included randomized trials that evaluated corticosteroids, in any form, dose or route of administration, in people with acute optic neuritis.

Two authors independently extracted the data on methodological quality and outcomes for analysis.

We included five randomized trials which included a total of 729 participants. Two trials evaluated low dose oral corticosteroids and two trials evaluated a higher dose of intravenous corticosteroids. One three-arm trial evaluated low-dose oral corticosteroids and high-dose intravenous corticosteroids against placebo. Trials evaluating oral corticosteroids compared varying doses of corticosteroids with placebo. Hence, we did not conduct a meta-analysis of such trials. In a meta-analysis of trials evaluating corticosteroids with total dose greater than 3000 mg administered intravenously, the relative risk of normal visual acuity with intravenous corticosteroids compared with placebo was 1.06 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.27) at six months and 1.06 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.22) at one year. The risk ratio of normal contrast sensitivity for the same comparison was 1.10 (95% CI 0.92 to 1.32) at six months follow up. We did not conduct a meta-analysis for this outcome at one year follow up since there was substantial statistical heterogeneity. The risk ratio of normal visual field for this comparison was 1.08 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.22) at six months and 1.02 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.20) at one year. Quality of life was assessed and reported in one trial.

There is no conclusive evidence of benefit in terms of recovery to normal visual acuity, visual field or contrast sensitivity with either intravenous or oral corticosteroids at the doses evaluated in trials included in this review.