[Magnetic resonance tomography in ophthalmology. II. Manifestations of edema of the optic nerve].

MRI findings specific for lesions of the optic nerve are reported in the present paper for the first time: a dilated subarachnoidal space during the acute phase and scars in the neural tissue several months later. For imaging, the authors used special pulse sequences and surface coils. Twenty of 37 patients presenting with these symptoms were suffering from retrobulbar neuritis. In at least 12 (60%) of them the neuritis was associated with multiple sclerosis. Patients with tumors of the sella region usually have bilateral edema in the subarachnoidal spaces of both nerves. The edema is always located distal to the nerve lesion. The subarachnoidal edema is only of limited significance as a sign of optic neuritis. On the other hand, the authors failed to find a single case of neuritis without such edema.