Plasma exchange for severe optic neuritis: treatment of 10 patients

Neurology. 2004 Sep 28;63(6):1081-3. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000138437.99046.6b.

Abstract

The authors reviewed a series of 10 consecutive patients treated with plasma exchange (PE) for acute, severe optic neuritis (ON) largely unresponsive to previous high-dose IV glucocorticosteroids. PE was associated with an improvement of visual acuity according to the study criteria in 7 of 10 patients. On follow-up, three of these patients continued to improve, two remained stable, and two had worsened again. PE may be beneficial as an escalating treatment in a subset of patients with severe ON. A controlled trial is warranted.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Drug Resistance
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use
  • Interferon beta-1a
  • Interferon beta-1b
  • Interferon-beta / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / complications
  • Optic Neuritis / drug therapy
  • Optic Neuritis / etiology
  • Optic Neuritis / therapy*
  • Plasma Exchange*
  • Recurrence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Visual Acuity

Substances

  • Glucocorticoids
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Interferon beta-1b
  • Interferon-beta
  • Interferon beta-1a