Definition:
Optic atrophy is the loss of some or most of the fibers of the optic nerve.
Treatment:
Patient with optic atrophy cannot recover from their condition because the optic nerve, which is part of the brain, has no capability for regeneration.
Symptoms and Signs:
Patients have symptoms that are associated with vision loss.
Causes:
The condition may be congenital or acquired. If it is congenital, it is often hereditary and appears in childhood or it may have been to a lack of oxygen during pregnancy, labor or in the early days of a child's life. If acquired, it may be due changes to the blood supply in the eye or optic nerve, may be secondary to inflammation or swelling within the optic nerve, may be a result of pressure against the optic nerve, or may be related to metabolic diseases, trauma, glaucoma, or toxicity. Other patients also obtain the condition due to a deficiency in vitamin B12 deficiency and Paget's disease of the bone.
