[Visual function in patients with optic neuritis associated with acute transverse myelopathy in multiple sclerosis]

We reviewed the records of 20 patients with optic neuritis who were diagnosed to have clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). We classified them into 2 subgroups: group A, consisting of 9 patients who had acute transverse myelopathy (ATM); and group B, 11 patients without ATM. 4 patients (44%) in group A had complete visual loss, but none in group B. 6 patients (67%) in group A had less than 0.1 visual acuity in the affected eye, but only 2 patients (18%) in group B. 4 patients in group A had evidence of anticardiolipin antibodies. While both groups were diagnosed as having clinically definite MS, there were differences in the clinical features between them. We assume that the patients with ATM constitute a different subgroup among MS patients.