Optic nerve hypoplasia and maternal diabetes mellitus
M. Nelson, S. Lessell and A. A. Sadun
Altitudinal visual field defects were discovered in four young women on
routine eye or general physical examinations. This led to extensive
investigations because three of them were falsely presumed to have acquired
disorders of the central nervous system. In each case the defect appeared
to result from congenital hypoplasia of the optic nerve associated with
maternal diabetes mellitus. Congenital optic nerve hypoplasia should be
included in the differential diagnosis of visual field defects even when
they are discovered in adults. Hypoplasia consequent to maternal diabetes
mellitus is apt to be associated with excellent visual acuity and is
usually an isolated defect. The female offspring of diabetic mothers may be
at greater risk than the male offspring for the development of this
anomaly.
