Epidemiology of optic disc edema in 2021/2022: Results from a cohort of 197 patients

The aim of our study was to determine the etiologies of optic disc edema between 2021 and 2022.

This was a multicentric study at the Timone and Nord university hospitals in Marseille. Patients were retrospectively followed in ophthalmology departments, with inclusion between January 2021 and December 2022. All patients presenting with newly diagnosed uni- or bilateral optic disc edema, both adults and children, were included. Their ophthalmological evaluation included a fundus examination and optical coherence tomography if feasible.

In total, 197 patients were included. Intracranial hypertension (IH) was the most frequent etiology (37.06%). The primary causes of IH were idiopathic (27/73), intracranial tumors (21/73), and cerebral venous thrombosis (12/73). The second etiology of optic disc edema was retinal vein occlusion in 19.9% of cases (39/197). Edema reactive to uveitis was found in 13.2% of cases (26/197). Finally, inflammatory (17/197) and ischemic (30/197) optic neuropathies were identified.

This study updates the most frequent etiologies of optic disc edema in 2021 and 2022 to facilitate diagnostic hypotheses for de novo optic disc edema. It highlights the importance of a comprehensive and personalized evaluation in diagnosing optic disc edema, taking into account recent advances in imaging techniques and biomarkers.