Optic Perineuritis and Its Association With Autoimmune Diseases

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Immunology

Background:

• Optic perineuritis (OPN) is a distinct optic neuropathy with unknown inflammatory mechanisms.
• It differs etiologically from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) and multiple sclerosis (MS)-related optic neuritis (ON).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the etiology and clinical characteristics of OPN in a Chinese patient population.
• To compare OPN with idiopathic demyelination optic neuritis (IDON).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational cohort study.
• Neuro-ophthalmological examination, orbit MRI, and blood sample analysis.
• Comparison of OPN and IDON patient cohorts.

Main Results:

• Forty-four OPN cases and 61 IDON cases were analyzed.
• OPN was associated with autoimmune diseases (33 cases), infections (10 cases), or idiopathic (1 case).
• OPN patients were older, more likely to have bilateral involvement, and presented with ptosis, diplopia, and exophthalmos compared to IDON patients.

Conclusions:

• OPN exhibits distinct etiologies and clinical features compared to IDON.
• OPN is frequently associated with underlying autoimmune diseases.
• Recognizing OPN characteristics can aid in diagnosing associated autoimmune conditions, especially in patients with multiorgan dysfunction.