Inflammatory optic neuropathy in granulomatosis with polyangiitis can mimick isolated idiopathic optic neuritis.

CONCLUSION: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is a rare yet potentially blinding cause of inflammatory optic neuropathy. Optic neuropathy in granulomatosis with polyangiitis may occur in the absence of systemic symptoms of disease activity and is challenging to distinguish from other inflammatory and non-inflammatory disorders affecting visual acuity. Several clinical and imaging clues suggest that optic neuropathy results from the development of an extravascular granulomatous process within the optic nerve sheath in the orbital apex, a place that is difficult to image. In a granulomatosis with polyangiitis patient with unexplained visual loss and a seemingly normal workup (fundoscopy, biology, and imaging), clinician should keep a high index of suspicion. PMID: 31744325 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: European Journal of Ophthalmology - Category: Opthalmology Authors: Tags: Eur J Ophthalmol Source Type: research