Abstract
A 50-year-old woman presented unilateral retrobulbar optic neuritis and laboratory evidence of autoimmune diseases.
On January 25, 1984, visual loss and retrobulbar pain in her right eye appeared.
There were no evidence of retinal vasculitis and abnormality of the optic disc. Physical examination and neurological consultation were normal.
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 24mm/hr, the antinuclear antibody titer was 1:20 with a shaggy and speckled pattern, the serum complement activation titer of 15.5 CH 50U/ml was low and the circulating immune complex was 8.4μg/ml. Cerebrospinal fluid studies revealed an elevated initial pressure, an increased protein concentration and positive oligoclonal IgG band.
Retrobulbar optic neuritis was diagnosed and dexamethasone 3mg/day was administrated.
Her visual loss and immunological data improved. But six months later, antinuclear antibodies, low complementemia and oligoclonal IgG band were still present.
Although retrobulbar optic neuritis with immunological abnormalities have never been reported in Japan, further precise immunological examination can reveal more frequent immunological complication in retrobubar optic neuritis.
