Criteria to diagnose common cause of sudden vision loss

(© Image: Fotolia) - A universal criteria for diagnosing the blinding eye condition, optic neuritis, has been developed by a UCL-led team of researchers. Optic neuritis is inflammation in the optic nerve and is a common cause of sudden and acute vision loss, affecting around 6 in 100,000 people. It may occur at any age with vision loss typically occurring over several hours or a few days , from onset Sometimes optic neuritis is caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), but it can also be triggered by many other conditions. Up until now, there has been no international consensus on how to diagnose optic neuritis, making it challenging to provide timely treatment for conditions in which it is the first symptom. However, it is hoped that the new diagnostic criteria will reduce the risk of misdiagnosis and help inform treatment options. For example, the likelihood of a patient needing long-term medication may differ according to their subgroups of optic neuritis. Dr Axel Petzold (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), who led the study alongside Professor Gordon Plant (National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, UCLH) and Associate Professor Clare Fraser (Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney), said: "Our study attempts to internationalise and classify the many syndromes that can manifest as optic neuritis.