Contrast-enhanced MRI in acute optic neuritis: relationship to visual performance.

The location and extent of an abnormal signal on MRI of the optic nerve affected by optic neuritis are said to correlate with the severity of initial visual loss and recovery. We used gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed MRI to show abnormal enhancement of the optic nerve to determine the sensitivity of this modality in acute optic neuritis and whether the abnormal enhancement correlates with presenting visual deficits or recovery. A total of 107 patients, 93 with follow-up (68 steroid treated), were included; 101 patients had enhancement of the affected optic nerve and no unaffected nerve enhanced.