Clinical and Etiological Evaluation of Unilateral Discedema

Optic disc edema is the end result of many pathological processes, some relatively benign, some with visual and neurological consequences. Charts belonging to adults referred with the finding of unilateral disc edema during the last 5 years were reviewed in the neuroophthalmology department of a tertiary eye care center in Ankara, Turkey. Of 77 patients who were retrospectively evaluated; 38 had nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), 13 had papillitis and 10 had disc edema secondary to orbital mass lesions. Unilateral optic disc edema was associated with visual loss in 66 (85,7 %) and with other complaints (proptosis, diplopia, transient visual obscurations) in 11(14,3 %) patients. Then the patients were divided into three groups according to their etiology such as ischemic (Group 1: 41 patients), compressive (Group 2: 18 patients) and inflammatory (Group 3: 18 patients). The groups were statistically compared in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. All groups were similar in terms of gender, optic disc appearance and duration of symptoms. There were more aged persons with systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension in Group 1 (ischemic) with significantly more painless visual loss, and more optic disc hemorrhages. Group 2 (compressive) had less severe central vision loss and color vision loss; and Group 3 (inflammatory) consisted of younger individuals with mostly painful visual loss.