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Clinical Case Notes
Woman with atypical unilateral Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy with visual improvement
Article first published online: 18 DEC 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9071.2007.01628.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
Sugisaka, E., Ohde, H., Shinoda, K. and Mashima, Y. (2007), Clinical Case Notes. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, 35: 868–870. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9071.2007.01628.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 18 DEC 2007
- Article first published online: 18 DEC 2007
- Received 13 March 2007; accepted 25 September 2007.
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy;
- microangiopathy;
- nt 11778 mutation;
- optic neuritis
Abstract
We describe a patient with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) who had a unilateral involvement and a gradual recovery of vision. A 50-year-old woman was referred to our clinic in December 2004 for the treatment of left optic neuritis. The visual acuity was 0.01 in her left eye and 1.5 in her right eye. The left eye had a central scotoma and a relative afferent pupillary defect. Ophthalmoscopy revealed a hyperaemic optic disc with indistinct margins in the left eye. Fluorescein angiography showed circumpapillary microangiopathy in both eyes and staining of the left optic disc. An nt 11778 mutation was identified and she was diagnosed with LHON. The central scotoma gradually improved, and the visual acuity had recovered to 0.3 in August 2007. LHON should still be considered even in older female patients presenting with unilateral acute visual loss when microangiopathy is seen. In such cases, molecular testing is effective in confirming a diagnosis of LHON.