[Optic neuritis--to treat or not to treat?].

G optic neuritis is still somewhat of a management puzzle for ophthalmologists despite two excellent studies in recent years, says Anthony C. Arnold, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Chief of the Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology, and Director of the Optic Neuropathy Center at the Jules Stein Eye Institute. “Whether to treat typical monosymptomatic optic neuritis with steroids or not has always been controversial, and ophthalmologists may wonder if they can or should do anything about the patient’s risk for developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The National Eye Institute-sponsored Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT) and the industry-sponsored Controlled High-Risk Subjects Avonex Multiple Sclerosis Prevention Study (CHAMPS) clarified some issues, but raise additional questions.”