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• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests

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• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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Summary

The optic nerve is a bundle of more than 1 million nerve fibers that carry visual messages. You have one connecting the back of each eye (your retina) to your brain. Damage to an optic nerve can cause vision loss. The type of vision loss and how severe it is depends on where the damage occurs. It may affect one or both eyes.

There are many different types of optic nerve disorders, including:

• Glaucoma is a group of diseases that are the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Glaucoma usually happens when the fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises and damages the optic nerve.
• Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. Causes include infections and immune-related illnesses such as multiple sclerosis. Sometimes the cause is unknown.
• Optic nerve atrophy is damage to the optic nerve. Causes include poor blood flow to the eye, disease, trauma, or exposure to toxic substances.
• Optic nerve head drusen are pockets of protein and calcium salts that build up in the optic nerve over time

Contact your health care provider if you are having vision problems. Tests for optic nerve disorders may include eye exams, ophthalmoscopy (an examination of the back of your eye), and imaging tests. Treatment depends on which disorder that you have. With some optic nerve disorders, you may get your vision back. With others, there is no treatment, or treatment may only prevent further vision loss.

Start Here

• Overview of Optic Nerve Disorders (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Get a Dilated Eye Exam (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
• Optic Nerve Imaging (Glaucoma Research Foundation)

Related Issues

• How the Build Up of Aqueous Humor Can Damage the Optic Nerve (BrightFocus Foundation)

Specifics

• Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
• Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri) (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Neuromyelitis Optica (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
• Nutritional and Toxic Optic Neuropathies (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Optic Nerve Atrophy (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Optic Nerve Drusen (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Optic Nerve Pit (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Optic Neuritis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)

Genetics

• Autosomal dominant optic atrophy and cataract: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Costeff syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Deafness-dystonia-optic neuronopathy syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Early-onset glaucoma: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Leber hereditary optic neuropathy: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Neuromyelitis optica: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Optic atrophy type 1: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Renal coloboma syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Septo-optic dysplasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

• The Visual System (National Eye Institute)

Statistics and Research

• Eye Health Data and Statistics (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Optic Nerve Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Optic Nerve Injuries (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Impact of Optic Nerve Tortuosity, Globe Proptosis, and Size on Retinal...
• Article: The reliability of retinal nerve fiber layer analysis to differentiate between...
• Article: Prevalence and Incidence of Ethambutol-Induced Optic Neuropathy and Its Risk Factors...
• Optic Nerve Disorders -- see more articles

Patient Handouts

• Optic glioma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Optic nerve atrophy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Optic neuritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish