Optic nerve atrophy

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Optic nerve

Optic nerve atrophy involves tissue death of the nerve that carries the information of vision from the eye to the brain.

Second cranial nerve atrophy

There are many unrelated causes of optic atrophy. The most common cause is poor blood flow, called ischemic optic neuropathy, which most often affects the elderly. The optic nerve can also be damaged by shock, various toxic substances, radiation, and trauma.

Various eye diseases, most commonly glaucoma, can also cause optic nerve atrophy. In addition, the condition can be caused by diseases of the brain and central nervous system, such as cranial arteritis (sometimes called temporal arteritis), multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, and stroke.

There are also several rare forms of hereditary optic nerve atrophy that affect children and young adults.

Review Date: 09/01/2006
Reviewed By: Manju Subramanian, MD, Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery, Boston University Eye Associates, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.