Background: Optic neuritis is a frequent cause of vision loss encountered by ophthalmologists in the Caribbean. The diagnosis is made on clinical grounds. Optic neuritis can occur either in an isolated manner or, most often, as the first symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) or neuromyelitisoptica (NMO). These 2 demyelinating disorders differ by many means, including treatment and prognosis. MS can cause severe long-term disability while NMO is a short-term sight- and life-threatening condition causing potential relapses, which may require plasma exchanges. Furthermore, disease-modifying therapies used in NMO are different from those used in MS, which can worsen the natural history of NMO. Early differential diagnosis of these diseases is thus crucial for preventing severe visual loss and disability.
Background: Optic neuritis is a frequent cause of vision loss encountered by ophthalmologists in the Caribbean. The diagnosis is made on clinical grounds. Optic neuritis can occur either in an isolated manner or, most often, as the first symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) or neuromyelitisoptica (NMO). These 2 demyelinating disorders differ by many means, including treatment and prognosis. MS can cause severe long-term disability while NMO is a short-term sight- and life-threatening condition causing potential relapses, which may require plasma exchanges. Furthermore, disease-modifying therapies used in NMO are different from those used in MS, which can worsen the natural history of NMO. Early differential diagnosis of these diseases is thus crucial for preventing severe visual loss and disability. Purpose: The investigators aim to identify early predictive factors (clinical, biological and radiological) of NMO occurrence in patients presenting with optic neuritis and with no prior history of demyelinating diseases. Method: The investigators will conduct a multicentric prospective study including all patients of 18 years or older, with no prior history of demyelinating disorders and presenting with a diagnosis of optic neuritis in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. Patients will first undergo a full neuro-ophthalmic examination which includes visual acuity, contrast vision, color vision, slit-lamp anterior segment and fundus examination as well as automatized visual field and optical coherence tomography of the optic nerves and retina. Patients will then be admitted to the Neurology and Ophthalmologic Department of the University Hospital of Martinique for optic neuritis emergency treatment, 3-Tesla brain and medullar MRIs, and ancillary testing. Specific NMO antibodies (AQP-4 and MOG) will be tested in all patients. Neuro-ophthalmic examination will be repeated after 3 days of IV steroids in order to decide on further treatment. Patients will be further monitored at 1, 6 and 12 months so as to determine the most likely etiology of optic neuritis with the aid of MS and NMO diagnosis criteria.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
150
Patients will first undergo a full neuro-ophthalmic examination which includes visual acuity, contrast vision, color vision, slit-lamp anterior segment and fundus examination as well as automatized visual field and optical coherence tomography of the optic nerves and retina. Patients will then be admitted to the Neurology and Ophthalmologic Department for optic neuritis emergency treatment, 3-Tesla brain and medullar MRIs, and ancillary testing. Specific NMO antibodies (AQP-4 and MOG) will be tested in all patients. Neuro-ophthalmic examination will be repeated after 3 days of IV steroids in order to decide on further treatment.
CHU of Martinique
Fort-de-France, France
RECRUITINGFinal diagnosis using MS (McDonald, 2010) - Spatial dissemination
One T2 lesion ore more in at least two of the four central nervous system territories considered to be characteristic of MS: * juxtacortical, * periventricular, * sub-tentorial, * medullary (in case of medullary syndrome or brain stem, symptomatic lesions are excluded from the diagnostic criteria and do not participate in the lesion count).
Time frame: 12 months
Final diagnosis using MS (McDonald, 2010) - Time dissemination
* A new lesion in T2 and / or a lesion taking gadolinium on a follow-up MRI regardless of the time of initial MRI. * The simultaneous presence of asymptomatic lesions raised and not elevated by gadolinium at any time.
Time frame: 12 months
NMO diagnosis criteria (Wingerchuk, 2015) - Diagnosis of NMO-SD with positive anti-AQP4 Antibody
* At least one main clinical criterion (1) * Exclusion of other diagnoses
Time frame: 12 months
NMO diagnosis criteria (Wingerchuk, 2015) - Diagnosis of NMO-SD with anti-AQP4 negative antibody
* At least 2 main clinical criteria occurring in the context of one or more clinical outbreaks and meeting the following criteria * At least 1 of the 2 main clinical criteria should be optic neuritis, extensive longitudinal myelitis or area postrema syndrome. * Dissemination in space (at least 2 main criteria) * Respect of MRI imaging criteria (2) * Anti-AQP4 negative antibodies * Exclusion of differential diagnoses
Time frame: 12 months
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