Retrobulbaric neuritis, is it dangerous?

With inflammatory disease of the optic nerve , a decrease in visual functions is observed. As a rule, the classification is divided into retrobulbar neuritis and optic neuritis. With neuritis, the optic nerve is exposed to the inflammatory process, and in the second case, the eyeball, as a rule, becomes inflamed, and an axial bundle of nerve endings is also involved in the lesion process. At the initial stages of development of retrobulbar neuritis, the eyeball may remain normal. However, hyperemia of the nerve disc is observed, as a rule, small, the boundaries of the optic nerve have fuzzy contours. Such symptoms are also characteristic of neuritis. Most often, retrobulbar neuritis flows on one eye, and only after a certain period of time does the second one begin to fall ill. Cases of simultaneous disease of the two eyes are quite rare.

From the clinical point of view, the retrobulbar optic neuritis has two forms: acute and chronic. Speaking of acute form, in a short time (a couple of days), visual acuity is rapidly weakening , which can not be said of the chronic form in which this process proceeds gradually. Retrobulbaric neuritis in acute form is characterized by pain behind the eyeball, as well as by pressing into the orbit directly the eyes. After initial reduction, visual acuity begins to gradually stabilize. And only in very rare cases, the process of recovery does not occur, and the eye remains blind.

Speaking about the features of the origin of such a disease, as retrobulbar neuritis, it is necessary to mention the toxic origin. As a rule, these are poisonings either with methyl alcohol or with substances that contain methyl alcohol in large amounts. With common signs of poisoning, such as nausea or vomiting, after a couple of days, the sharpness of the visual acuity of the two eyes is dramatically reduced, right up to blindness. In this case, the pupils dilate, and a weakly expressed reaction, however, it may be completely absent. As a rule, cases of ischemic neuritis are quite rare. In this case, the disc is pale, its borders are stilted, and the arteries are severely narrowed. The further development of this process is very diverse. In the first month after poisoning, it is possible to improve vision, but then this process can be reversible and leads to blindness. After all, as we know, visual acuity is reduced due to atrophy of the optic nerves.

In a patient suffering from diabetes, retrobulbar neuritis occurs in a chronic form, and is more common in males. Both eyes are affected. The visual acuity weakens not at once, gradually. There is an appearance of cattle, absolute and relative, on the periphery of the normal boundaries of the field of view. It is noted that the discs of the optic nerves first stay in norm, and then develop their temporal blanching.

As for the diagnosis, it is not difficult to diagnose typical cases of such a disease as retrobulbar neuritis. Treatment depends on the form and severity of the course. It is more difficult to diagnose neuritis of mild form, which is not accompanied by a decrease in visual possibilities, or swelling. It is important not to be confused with pseudovirus, in which normal functioning of visual functions is observed. In cases of the appearance of minute hemorrhages in the disc tissue, even single, it is possible to diagnose neuritis with confidence.

There can be retrobulbar neuritis due to alcohol-tobacco intoxication, as well as smoking strong tobacco, which contains a large volume of nicotine. More common in men of thirty years of age and older.