[On the differential diagnosis of bilateral retrobular optic neuritis (author's transl)].

Two cases of optic nerve neuritis are reported. The first had typical clinical symptoms and the other had an atypical course. In the case of the first patient an astrocytoma was found in the right frontal lobe. The aetiology of the second case was a meningioma of the tuberculum sellae. The clinical findings in our cases are discussed with regard to 58 cases in the literature. In all cases of optic neuritis with typical and atypical course a tumor of the central nervous system must always be taken into consideration.