Isolated optic neuritis as a presenting sign of tuberculosis in children is uncommon. We report a case of an immunocompetent child who displayed features of bilateral optic neuritis secondary to presumed tuberculosis. It is essential to highlight this alarming presentation in a child, as the presence of tuberculosis has re-emerged as a serious public health problem especially in developing countries.
Although few studies concerning optic neuritis (ON) in Asian countries have been reported, there is no report about ON in Malaysia particularly within the Malay population. We aimed to determine the clinical manifestation, visual outcome and aetiology of ON in Malays, and discussed the literature of ON studies in other Asian populations. This was a retrospective study involving 31 consecutive patients (41 eyes) with ON treated at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia commencing from July 2005 till January 2010 with a period of follow-up ranging from 18-60 months. The clinical features, laboratory results, possible aetiology, and visual acuity after one year were analysed. Females were the predominant group. The age of the patients ranged between 3-55 years and peaked between 21-30 years old. 67.7% of the patients had unilateral involvement. Pain on ocular movement was observed in 31.7% of the affected eyes. 73.3% of 41 involved eyes showed visual acuity equal 6/60 or worse on presentation. Paracentral scotoma was the most common visual field defect noted. Optic disc papillitis proved more widespread compared to the retrobulbar type of ON. The aetiology was idiopathic in more than 50%, while the risk of multiple sclerosis was extremely low (3.2%) in our series. 66.0% demonstrating visual acuity improved to 6/12 or better at one year after the attack. 16.1% showed evidence of recurrence during follow-up. In conclusion, the clinical profile and aetiology of ON in Malay patients are comparable to other ON studies reported by other Asian countries.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common multisystem disorder. However, retinal vasculitis as a primary manifestation of SLE is uncommon, accounting for only 4% of causes of retinal vasculitis. The postulated mechanism appeared to be vaso-occlusion of the retinal arterioles by thrombosis, with resultant ischaemia. Optic neuropathy in SLE is also rare, with a prevalence of 1%. This is a case report of a young lady who presented to us with retinal vasculitis as her initial presentation of SLE. Interestingly, the pathologic mechanism appeared to be inflammatory and not vaso-occlusive.
Limited data are available on optic neuritis in Asian children. Clinical profiles tend to vary with different races. We aimed to determine the clinical manifestations, visual outcomes, and etiologies of optic neuritis in Malaysian children, and discuss the literature of optic neuritis in Asian children. A retrospective study involving 14 children with optic neuritis was performed at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia between July 2005 and January 2010 (follow-up, 18-60 months). Clinical features, laboratory results, possible etiologies, and visual acuity after 1 year were studied. Females were predominant (mean age at presentation, 11.1 years). All patients manifested bilateral involvement. Swollen optic discs were observed in 92.9% of eyes; 60.7% of patients demonstrated a visual acuity of 6/60 (or 20/200) or worse on presentation, whereas 14.3% remained at 6/60 (or 20/200) or worse, 1 year after their attack. Cecocentral scotoma comprised the most common visual field defect. Infection contributed to 50.0% of cases; 14.3% progressed to multiple sclerosis during follow-up, with no evidence of recurrent optic neuritis. The clinical profiles and etiologies of optic neuritis in Malay children differ slightly compared with other optic neuritis studies of Asian children. The frequency of progression to multiple sclerosis is relatively lower.
A 27 year-old lady, presented with sudden loss of vision in the right eye for a week. It was followed by poor vision in the left eye after 3 days. It involved the whole entire visual field and was associated with pain on eye movement. She was diagnosed to have miliary tuberculosis and retroviral disease 4 months ago. She was started on anti-TB since then but defaulted highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). On examination, her visual acuity was no perception of light in the right eye and 6/120 (pinhole 3/60) in the left eye. Anterior segment in both eyes was unremarkable. Funduscopy showed bilateral optic disc swelling with presence of multiple foci of choroiditis in the peripheral retina. The vitreous and retinal vessels were normal. Chest radiography was normal. CT scan of orbit and brain revealed bilateral enhancement of the optic nerve sheath that suggest the diagnosis of bilateral atypical optic neuritis. This patient was managed with infectious disease team. She was started on HAART and anti-TB treatment was continued. She completed anti-TB treatment after 9 months without any serious side effects. During follow up the visual acuity in both eyes was not improved. However, funduscopy showed resolving of disc swelling and choroiditis following treatment.
Sinusitis is a rare cause of optic neuritis in children. This case illustrates bilateral optic neuritis in a 9-year-old child caused by pansinusitis. It demands an accurate diagnosis with a prompt management. A proper treatment of sinusitis is essential to prevent this complication.