Brucella optic neuritis.

A 13-year-old girl sustained acute blindness of the left eye with bilateral papilledema. An extensive search for a cause revealed only acute Brucella infection, documented by blood cultures that were positive for Brucella and a rise and fall of Brucella agglutination titer. Computed tomographic scan of the orbit revealed thickening and irregularity of the optic nerve. The patient was treated with anti-Brucella therapy and high-dose corticosteroids, with resultant complete recovery and return of visual acuity, disappearance of papilledema, and return of the optic nerve to its normal shape and thickness.