Fast Resolution of Bilateral Optic Neuritis Secondary to Multiple Sclerosis after Treatment with Glatiramer Acetate

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory central nervous system disease that can manifest with acute optic neuritis (ON). Up to 50% of patients with MS will develop an episode of ON and in 20 to 30% it is the presenting sign of the disease [1]. Retro-bulbar ON is an inflammation of the optic nerve with no obvious optic disc swelling and accounts for two thirds of the cases in MS [2]. Glatiramer acetate is an immuno-modulator currently used to treat MS. It is a polymer composed of four amino acids found in the basic structure of the myelin protein with an unknown mechanism of action. The FDA has approved it for treatment of MS, as it has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the frequency of relapses of the disease [3]. No clinical trials or cases of MS related ON treated with glatiramer acetate (GA) have been reported.