OPTIC NEURITIS AND UNCONTROLLED DIABETES MELLITUS IN 14 PATIENTS

Abstract

Fourteen patients, aged 40 to 69 years, with optic neuritis or optic atrophy, and with diabetes mellitus that was uncontrolled at the onset of visual loss, but without other conditions known to cause optic neuritis, were studied. Twelve of these 14 patients had undiagnosed diabetes. Control of diabetes was followed by arrest of visual loss in all but 1 of the patients followed, but only 1 showed significant improvement. On the basis of data gathered from several previously published case reports and the 14 patients in the series, it is suggested that visual loss may be caused by the toxic effect of uncontrolled diabetes mellitis on the optic nerves in susceptible patients.