Ocular Manifestations in Korean Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Objective: The overall influence of race on ocular manifestations in multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown. Methods: This study reviewed ocular manifestations in Korean MS patients from 1996 to 2004. Results: Of the 121 patients, 62 (51%) showed ocular manifestations that comprised optic neuritis (ON) in 52 (42.9%), ocular motor deficits in 11 (9.1%), and visual field defects in 2 (1.7%). Of the 27 patients (45 eyes) with ON whose medical records were available for results of the ophthalmologic tests, 19 patients (70%) experienced painless visual loss and 8 eyes (17.8%) showed severe disc edema. Twenty-nine of 37 patients (78.4%) with isolated ON as an initial manifestation showed normal brain MRI and twenty-seven (73%) negative oligoclonal band (OCB). Of the ocular motor findings, unilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (6 patients) was the most common. Conclusions: Korean MS patients showed lower frequencies of ON and ocular motor deficits than Caucasian and Japanese patients. The known risk factors associated with increased risk of developing MS in several western studies did not apply to Korean ON. Our study suggests that ocular manifestations of MS may differ among the races.