Clinical outcomes of optic neuritis: A retrospective study at a tertiary medical center in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To investigate the clinical results of optic neuritis (ON) patients in a tertiary medical facility in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The data of patients assessed for ON at Makkah, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Medical Center (KAMC), was examined retrospectively.

Results: We identified 15 patients with ON. The ON was caused by multiple sclerosis (MS) in 73.3% of patients and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in 26.7% of patients. The disease was bilateral in 60% of patients and unilateral in 40% of patients. Additionally, 60% of patients had 2 or more episodes of ON, whereas 40% had a single episode. Patients with ON who presented with painful eye movements had a significantly longer disease duration (p=0.032). Moreover, patients whose disease duration was 11–15 days did not achieve a complete resolution of their symptoms and experienced some residual vision loss compared to 30.8% who had continued visual changes (p=0.049).

Conclusion: In the studied population, multiple sclerosis was the most prevalent cause of ON. Women were more likely to have ON. The prognosis for eyesight was substantially connected with the length of ON.