Pattern visually evoked cortical potential and magnetic resonance imaging in optic neuritis

We studied the extent of optic nerve lesion with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 24 patients with optic neuritis and compared it with visually evoked cortical potentials (VECP). Patients were divided into acute and chronic stage groups according to the duration of the disease from its onset. The short TI inversion recovery (STIR) mode of the MRI was selected for study. In the acute stage group, abnormally high signals of optic nerve on MRI were demonstrated in 11 of 12 eyes, and the amplitude and peak latency of pattern VECP were unrelated to the extent of the optic nerve lesion visualized by MRI. Conversely, in the chronic stage group, the abnormal MRI findings were exhibited in 19 of 23 eyes, and the relationship between the measurements was statistically significant. This difference in the optic nerve lesion observed by MRI between the acute stage and the chronic stage of optic neuritis may indicate pathophysiologic differences in their origins.