Association Between Age and Gender With Pediatric Optic Neuritis at a Tertiary Hospital

Optic neuritis (ON) is an inflammatory demyelinating condition of the optic nerve that can cause visual impairment. Previous studies have not analyzed the association between age and sex with pediatric ON, particularly in Southeast Asia. The objective is to analyze how age and gender are associated with clinical presentation and etiology of pediatric ON. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records from a tertiary hospital in Surabaya (2015-2020). Data were analyzed using the chi-square test. A total of 45 subjects were included, most of whom were male and aged ≥10 years. Most patients had idiopathic (33.33%) or post-infection (33.33%) causes. Most cases were bilateral, and atypical cases were more prevalent. The chi-square analysis demonstrated an association between age and etiology classification of pediatric ON (p = 0.004). This study suggests a significant association between age and the etiology of pediatric optic neuritis, with atypical etiologies, such as idiopathic and post-infectious causes, being more prevalent in patients aged 10 years and older. No statistically significant relationship was observed between age, sex, and clinical presentation. Age is significantly associated with the etiology of pediatric ON, suggesting its importance in guiding diagnostic evaluation.