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Intravenous dexamethasone improved visual function in idiopathic optic neuritis

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Administering intravenous dexamethasone to patients with acute optic neuritis resulted in rapid recovery of vision, an Indian study found.

Tandon Radhika, MD, FRCOphth, and colleagues at the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in New Delhi evaluated the efficacy of the drug in 40 patients with acute optic neuritis. All patients received a daily 100 mg dose of intravenous dexamethasone for 3 days.

The researchers found that distance visual acuity significantly improved at 24 hours after the first dose (P < .001) and near vision significantly improved at 24 hours after the second dose (P = .006). Patients experienced significant improvements in color vision (P < .001) and contrast sensitivity (P = .013) 24 hours after the third dose, the study found.

By 1 month, the researchers also saw significant improvements in relative afferent pupillary defect and visual fields (P = .005).

Only four eyes of four patients experienced a recurrence of neuritis. At 2 years' follow-up, 23 of 28 eyes available for examination (82.14%) had achieved visual acuity better than 20/40, according to the study.

The study is published in the July-September issue of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.