Optic Neuritis-MRI

Optic neuritis is defined as inflammation of the optic nerve. It is one of the causes of acute loss of vision associated with pain. Optic neuritis can be the initial episode for a patient who will subsequently develop multiple sclerosis.  Thin fat-suppressed T2-weighted images, such as short tau inversion recovery sequences, through the optic nerves may show characteristic high-signal intensity foci in the minimally or nonexpanded nerve. These lesions frequently enhance following intravenous contrast administration, which is not seen in a healthy optic nerve.  In our case DWI was also used which shows expanded left optic nerve with bright signal on DWI and enhancement on CEMRI. In this patient MRI brain had no evidence of MS.