The optic nerve comprises axons that emerge from the retina of the eye and carry visual information to the primary visual nuclei, most of which is relayed to the occipital cortex of the brain to be processed into vision. Inflammation of the optic nerve causes loss of vision, usually because of the swelling and destruction of the myelin sheath covering the optic nerve. The most common cause is multiple sclerosis or ischemic optic neuropathy due to thrombosis or embolism of the vessel that supplies the optic nerve. Up to 50% of patients with MS will develop an episode of<unk> , and 20-30% of the time<unk>  is the presenting sign of MS. The presence of demyelinating white matter lesions on brain MRI at the time of presentation of<unk>  is the strongest predictor for developing clinically definite MS. Almost half of the patients with<unk>  have white matter lesions consistent with multiple sclerosis. Some other common causes of<unk>  include infection (e.g. a tooth abscess in the upper jaw, syphilis, Lyme disease, herpes zoster), autoimmune disorders (e.g. lupus, neurosarcoidosis, neuromyelitis optica), methanol poisoning, Vitamin B12 deficiency, beriberi, dysautonomia (i.e. autonomic nervous system dysfunction), and diabetes, or an injury to the eye. In neuromyelitis optica higher AQP4 autoantibody levels are associated with the occurrence of<unk> . Less common causes are: papilledema, brain tumor or abscess in the occipital region, cerebral trauma or hemorrhage, meningitis, arachnoidal adhesions, sinus thrombosis, liver dysfunction, or late stage kidney disease. + Approximate Cause Data (Other TOP Ranking diseases include: Cancer, Heart Disease, Respiratory, Stroke, Diabetes, Alzheimers, Kidney Disease, Parkinsons, Suicide) Cause and Rank based on Deaths Annual Num Cases TOTAL (US) (2011) Annual Cases leading to<unk>  Percent Prognosis and Treatment Multiple Sclerosis (Rank 33) 400, 042 146,232 45% Most Common cause, Almost all patients will experience some form of vision dysfunction. Partial vision loss can occur through the duration of the disease, Total vision loss occurs in severe cases and late stages Blood Clot (Rank 29) (Optic ONLY) 17,000 16,777 5% Reversible if early and before reduced Blood flow causes permanent damage. Nerve Pinch, (0) NOT REPORTED 4% Usually heals itself, Treatment Not needed Injury to Optic Nerve (Including Poisoning, i.e. Methanol) (0) 23,827 20,121 <1% Depends on Severity, Usually Treatable Liver Dysfunction (Rank 19) If untreated can lead to Failure (Rank 8) 141,211 11,982 7% Poor Outcomes and Progresses and can lead to total vision loss Reduced Kidney Function (Treatable with diet change) (Rank 67 – If untreated, can progress to Late Stage with much greater mortality rates. 509,898 16,281 9% Good Outcomes if Early, and can usually be treated with diet changes, Progresses and can lead to total vision loss Late Stage Kidney Failure (Rank 7) 33,212 1,112 2% Poor Outcomes – Usually permanent nerve damage at this stage Papilledema, (Brain tumor or abscess ) (Rank 10) 45,888 9,231 3% Depends on Severity Meningitis (Rank 61) 2,521 189 <1% Depends on Severity Other Infections (Not from Abscess) 5,561 <1% Good Outcomes, Treatable with Antibiotics or other Microbial drugs Diabetes (early Stage Treatable) Late Stage has worse prognosis (Rank 6) 49,562 21,112 15% Type 1 carries poor prognosis, Type 2 can be treated and vision returned Unknown n/a 2% Demyelinating recurrent<unk>  and non-demyelinating (CRION) The repetition of an idiopathic<unk>  is considered a distinct clinical condition, and when it shows demyelination, it has been found to be associated to anti-MOG and AQP4-negative neuromyelitis optica When an inflammatory recurrent<unk>  is not demyelinating, it is called "Chronic relapsing inflammatory optic neuropathy" (CRION) When it is anti-MOG related, it is demyelinating and it is considered inside the anti-MOG associated inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Some reports point to the possibility to establish a difference via OCT
Optic neuritis
Far-sightedness
Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
Ischemic optic neuropathy
Posterior ischemic optic neuropathy
Ocular ischemic syndrome
Optic neuropathy
Vitreoretinopathy