What Is Optic Neuritis? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
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Scientists have yet to identify what exactly gives rise to optic neuritis. Dr. Dinkin and other researchers and optic neuritis specialists point to overactivity of the immune system (much like autoimmune disease processes), in which the body attacks the myelin sheath as if it were a foreign invader. It can be triggered by a preceding viral infection or by bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, syphilis, and Lyme disease. “But it may occur without any clear cause,” Dinkin says.
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Other inflammatory diseases associated with optic neuritis include the following:
Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), or Devic’s Disease A central nervous system disorder, NMO resembles MS but involves primarily the optic nerve and spinal cord and less often the brain. Vision loss may be more severe in people with NMO than in those with MS.
Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein (MOG) Antibody Disorder The immune system targets MOG, a protein located on the surface of myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. Like MS and NMO, MOG antibody disorder can cause repeated attacks of inflammation to the optic nerve, spinal cord, or brain.
Lupus In this case, the immune system can attack a variety of healthy tissues and organs, most commonly the skin, joints, heart, and kidneys. Occasionally, however, lupus can lead to optic nerve inflammation as well as other potentially serious eye conditions, such as retinal vasculitis, uveitis, scleritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome.
Sarcoidosis With sarcoidosis, clumps of inflammatory cells, or granulomas, can form in almost any organ in the body. Though usually found in the lungs and lymph nodes, they can also affect the skin and eyes. The cause isn’t known, but experts believe that viruses, bacteria, or chemicals may trigger this kind of immune system attack.
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