Background: To evaluate the demographic, etiological, and clinical properties, as well as the treatment modalities of neuro-ophthalmological diseases in childhood.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients younger than 18 years old who were referred to the Neuro-Ophthalmology Department of Ulucanlar Eye Hospital from 2004 to 2019.
Results: Of 1,910 patients who presented to the Neuro-Ophthalmology Department, 128 (6.7%) were younger than 18 years old at diagnosis, and their data were analyzed. The three most common diagnoses were congenital optic disc (OD) abnormalities in 43 (33.5%), optic neuropathies in 42 (32.8%), and idiopathic intracranial hypertension in 11 (8.5%) patients. The most frequent symptoms were as follows: decreased visual acuity in 36 (28.1%), headache in 32 (25%), and no symptoms in 19 (14.8%) patients. The best visual prognosis was associated with inflammatory optic neuritis, while hereditary and compressive optic neuropathy resulted in poor visual acuity outcomes.
Conclusions: Congenital OD abnormalities and optic neuropathies are the most frequently seen disorders among children with neuro-ophthalmological diseases. Clinicians should also be aware that children without any symptoms may also have neuro-ophthalmological disorders.
Keywords: Children; congenital optic disc abnormalities; neuro-ophthalmological diseases; optic neuropathies.