A Comparative Evaluation of Megadose Methylprednisolone with Dexamethasone for Treatment of Primary Typical Optic Neuritis

To compare the efficacy of intravenous methylprednisolone and intravenous dexamethasone on visual recovery, in patients of primary typical optic neuritis and to evaluate the side-effects of these drugs. Materials and Methods: The present prospective, institution based study was carried out in the Department of Ophthalmology, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh from 1st June 2016 to 31st May 2017 on 60 patients of acute optic neuritis presenting within eight days of onset and with visual acuity less than 6/18 (20/60) in the affected eye where consecutive patients were alternately divided into two groups, Group I receiving intravenous Dexamethasone and Group II receiving intravenous Methylprednisolone. Result: The visual acuity and colour vision showed improvement in all the patients of both the dexamethasone and methylprednisolone group so that at the end of three months follow up, 27 eyes (87.09 %) in group I, 26 (86.66 %) eyes in group II had a vision of 6/6-6/18 and.22 (70.98 %) eyes in group I, 23 (76.66 %) eyes in group II had normal colour vision. Visual fields returned to normal in 12 eyes (38.70 %) and 10 (33.33 %) eyes in group I and II respectively. Conclusion: The study showed that intravenous dexamethasone and intravenous methylprednisolone therapy to be equally effective in treatment of primary typical optic neuritis as recommended by the ONTT study. Key word: Methylprednisolone, Dexamethasone, Optic neuritis.