Acute Visual Deficits

Abstract In this chapter, we discuss two etiologies of vision loss that often present to the Emergency Department, and the two pivotal, randomized, double-blinded controlled trials that looked into the optimal management of these different etiologies. In the first half of this chapter, we will discuss the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial, which provided evidence for how best to manage acute optic neuritis, as well as long-term outcomes of therapy. In the second half of this chapter, we will discuss the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial, which provided the first large-scale evidence for medical therapy in treatment of mild vision loss due to idiopathic intracranial hypertension.