Introduction to Optic Nerve Disease

This chapter serves as an introduction to Optic Nerve Disease (OND). The type and amount of visual loss is dependent on the location of the damage to the optic nerve. Damage anterior to the chiasm causes visual loss in the eye on the same side as the damage. Damage at the optic chiasm affects the bitemporal visual fields. Damage posterior to the optic chiasm within the optic tract produces the loss of the visual field on the side opposite the area of damage. Common causes of optic nerve damage include glaucoma, optic neuritis, compression optic neuropathy, traumatic optic neuropathy, infiltrative optic neuropathy, nutritional optic neuropathy, toxic optic neuropathy, hereditary optic neuropathy, optic atrophy, and optic nerve hypoplasia.