NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGIC MANIFESTATIONS OF DEMYELINATING DISEASES
Abstract:
Among all demyelinating diseases, the most frequent one in practice as well as in life is,
beyond any doubt, multiple sclerosis (MS). Although the etiology of this condition is not known exactly
(a lot of predisposing factors being involved), the disease has an obvious genetic predisposition and its
pathogenetic mechanism is autoimmune. The clinical manifestations of MS are multiple and various,
depending on the level the demyelinating injuries are produced at. The most frequent inception is
through visual signs and symptoms, the neurological signs generally breaking out a bit later. The
diagnostic of MS supposes firstly being familiar with the ways of manifestation of the disease, specific
neurological and eye investigations and, of course, a closer cooperation between the neurologist and the
ophthalmologist. It is equally important to establish the etiology of retro bulbar visual neuritis (a
common manifestation of MS), through a strict history and specific paraclinical, biochemical and
serological tests, so that the MS diagnostic should involve great responsibility on the part of the
neurologist to inform the patient on the clinical manifestations and the progressive evolution of the
disease. Since there still isn’t any etiological treatment of MS, its treatment is immunomodulator /
immunosuppressive, symptomatic and rehabilitating.
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