Visual recovery following treatment with very high dose corticosteroid in traumatic optic neuropathy

Optic nerve compression is a true ophthalmic emergency. In addition to causes such as tumours, infection, mucoceles and granulomas, the majority of cases are the result of orbitofacial or closed-head trauma. The appropriate management of such cases is controversial; with some authors favouring surgical decompression while others advocate medical treatment using very high-dose corticosteroids, or a combination of both. We report a case of traumatic optic neuropathy in which there was marked improvement in visual acuity following the administration of methylprednisolone.