OPTIC NERVE INVOLVEMENT AND DIPLOPIA AS INITIAL MANIFESTATIONS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Abstract

A series of 266 patients with MS [multiple sclerosis] derived from a contry-wide survey in Israel was studied. In 60 patients (23 per cent) optic nerve symptoms or diplopia were reported as initial manifestations of the disease. Analysis revealed that age at onset of MS was younger in patients with optic nerve involvement and diplopia as initial symptoms and that this mode of onset was more common among females. Patients with initial symptoms of optic nerve involvement and diplopia tended more often than others to run a relapsing and remitting course of illness. There were no significant differences between patients with and without optic nerve involvement and diplopia at onset when duration of illness, degree of disability, regions of birth and rate of relapse were compared. Results were compared to similar case analyses and the clinical significance of optic nerve involvement and diplopia as initial symptoms of MS was discussed.