Complete avulsion of the optic nerve. A clinical, angiographic, and electrodiagnostic study.

A case of traumatic complete avulsion of the optic nerve is reported together with fluorescein angiography and electrodiagnostic findings. Despite the disappearance of the central vessels, circulation remained in the branch retinal vessels and angiography demonstrated communication between peripapillary choroidal vessels and the superior temporal artery. The visually-evoked cortical response was abolished. Electroretinography showed a normal a-wave but reduced amplitude b-wave, not supporting the theory of the existence of centrifugal retino-suppressive fibres in the optic nerve of man.