Etiology of Optic Disc Swelling in a Tertiary Care Center in Nigeria

Optic disc swelling in clinical practice is worrisome. It may be associated with benign, sight- or life-threatening conditions. The common etiologies of optic disc swelling are variable in different communities.

To determine the etiology of optic disc swelling at the Eye Clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

The case files of all patients with optic disc swelling seen over a 7-year period were retrieved. Demographics and clinical information were obtained from their case files. The data was analyzed with the IBM SPSS Statistics Version 21 software. Descriptive analyses such as frequency, mean, and standard deviation were utilized.

There were 66 patients with bilateral or unilateral disc swelling. These included 23 males with a male: female ratio of 1:1.87. The age range was from 3 years to73 years; mean age 36.9 years (SD15.3). A total of 109 eyes were affected with bilateral involvement in 43 patients. Papillitis 15 (22.7%), brain tumor 8 (12.1%), and tilted disc 6 (9.1%) were the most frequent diagnosis. Papilledema in 20 (30.3%) patients, optic neuritis 19 (28.8%), and pseudopapilledema 11 (16.7%) were the most frequent etiologic processes of optic disc swelling.

Papillitis, brain tumors, and tilted disc were the most frequent etiologies of optic disc swelling in this study. These etiologies should be excluded in patients with optic disc swelling in our clinics.