NANOSNET

 View Only

 10 yo with acute vision loss OS

Anne Kao's profile image
Anne Kao posted 04-19-2026 19:14

10 yo healthy boy with vision loss OS. 

Beginning 5 days prior to onset he noticed intermittent bright stars in vision.  On day of presentation he developed blurry (not dark) vision while playing soccer on a hot day, stopped playing, got a little better, resumed playing and at end of game vision was dark OS.  Maybe a little sore when he moved his left eye while playing soccer, but not otherwise.  No diplopia, no headache.

No recent illnesses, except for 2-3 episodes of severe abdominal pain in the 2.5 months preceding presentation that would awaken him from sleep, but better by morning. Otherwise ROS negative.  Does not eat a lot but eats a relatively healthy diet.  No recent travel, no family history of vision problems.  He has an outdoor cat and is active outdoors, was playing outside after storms about a month ago, but did not ingest any dirty water.

Vision 20/20 OD, HM OS.  3-4+ RAPD OS.  Fundus examination OD normal; OS showed very mild optic nerve edema inferiorly and superiorly, macula notably pale – looked like a CRAO – but vessels unremarkable (no tortuosity, no unusual caliber, no signs of embolus nor vasculitis). 

MRI showed mild edema of and around optic nerve where it enters globe, mild enhancement of tissue posterior to sclera and superior to optic nerve, no enhancement of nerve itself. 

IVMP 30mg/kg/day was started about 24 hours after initial presentation with no improvement in vision.  IVIg was then started with no improvement in vision. 

All tests of serum and CSF to date have been negative: ESR, CRP, CBC (normal diff), ANA, ACE, ANCA, MOG, NMO, syphilis, quant gold, B12/folate, COVID PCR, Bartonella IgG and IgM, leptospira, CSF protein/glucose/cx/meningitis panel/NMO/MOG/toxo

Hypercoag panel pending

Only abnormal tests are slightly low serum and CSF IGG 

Repeat MRI showed stable edema of nerve, interval decrease in enhancement adjacent to nerve

Any thoughts regarding etiology or further testing would be greatly appreciated!

Anne Kao's profile image
Anne Kao

Correction: initial CBC showed mild increase in neutrophils, no eosinophilia

Pamela Chavis's profile image
Pamela Chavis

Was a toxoplasmosis screen done? 

Andrew Carey's profile image
Andrew Carey
Do you have an OCT of the macula to confirm retinal ischemia? Viral retinitis can also cause retinal whitening and have scleritis / optic nerve involvement. Is there any AC cell? Did you do viral PCR on CSF?
Posterior scleritis can have secondary involvement of the optic nerve, the MRI description could be consistent with scleritis which has a different differential than optic neuritis , more in the realm of vasculitis.
Are the sinuses okay? Is there chest imaging? How about urine protein: cr ratio? RF, IgG4? If there is tissue in the orbit enhancing you could consider biopsy.
Has he had a colonoscopy? Inflammatory bowel disease and bechets can look like this.
Best, 
Drew