Vitreous fluorophotometry inoptic nervedisease

SUMMARY Posterior vitreous fluorophotometry measurements havebeenshowntobeincreased in patients withacuteretrobulbar neuritis. We studied 12patients whohadoptic neuropathy by posterior vitreous fluorophotometry, withandwithout correction forbloodfluorescein concentration. Bothuncorrected andcorrected posterior vitreous measurements were increased inpatients withinflammatory, obstructive, andinfiltrative optic neuropathies. Concurrent values from anterior chamber fluorophotometry were notincreased inanyofthe8patients studied. Inflammation oftheoptic nerveheadincludes both clinically visible andinapparent abnormality ofthe optic nerve. We refer heretooptic neuritis as apparent optic nerve headinflammation indicated by clinical and/or fluorescein angiographic abnormality. Retrobulbar neuritis isdefined asoptic nervehead inflammation notdetectable byophthalmoscopic or fluorescein angiographic abnormality. Ithasbeenshownthat posterior vitreous fluorophotometry readings increase inacuteattacks of retrobulbar neuritis andreturn tonormal levels on resolution.' Recurrences ofretrobulbar neuritis also give increased readings onposterior vitreous fluorophotometry.' Thepurpose ofthepresent study wasto investigate optic neuropathies byvitreous fluorophotometry, andweemphasise thevalue ofthis techniquewhenfluorescein angiography gives normal results. Recent modifications havebeenmadeinthe interpretation ofvitreous fluorophotometry readings, bytheuseofblood fluorescein concentrations.2 These wereusedinthemajority ofpatients studied. Wealso investigated thevalue ofconcurrent fluorophotometric readings intheanterior chamber. Materials andmethods