clove and Optic-Nerve-Diseases

Cassava root is a staple food for almost 500 million people worldwide. Excessive consumption of it is a rare cause of optic neuropathy.. Ten patients diagnosed with cassava root related optic neuropathy were included in this retrospective study. Diagnostic criteria were a bilateral optic neuropathy preceded by significant cassava root consumption. Differential diagnoses were excluded through a neuro-ophthalmic examination, blood tests and a brain MRI. All patients had visual field examination and OCT retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) analysis as well as an evaluation of their cassava consumption.. All patients had a bilateral optic nerve head atrophy or pallor predominantly located into the temporal sector. Visual field defects consisted of a central or cecocentral scotoma for all patients. RNFL showed lower values only in the temporal sector. Mean duration of cassava consumption prior to the appearance of visual symptoms was 22.7±11.2 years with a mean of 2.57±0.53 cassava-based meals per week. Cassava related optic neuropathy is possibly due to its high cyanide content and enabled by a specific amino-acid deficiency.. Cassava root chronic consumption is a rare, underappreciated cause of optic neuropathy and its exact mechanism is still uncertain.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cameroon; Child; Cote d'Ivoire; Feeding Behavior; Female; Humans; Madagascar; Male; Manihot; Middle Aged; Optic Nerve Diseases; Retrospective Studies; Togo; Vision Disorders; Young Adult