Can optic nerve hypoplasia cause hallucinations or other psychotic-like symptoms?
OPTIC NERVE HYPOPLASIA DEFINITION Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) refers to the underdevelopment of the optic nerve during pregnancy. The dying back of optic nerve fibers as the child develops in utero is a natural process, and ONH may be an exaggeration of that process. ONH may occur infrequently in one eye (unilateral) but more commonly in both eyes (bilateral). ONH is not progressive, is not inherited, and cannot be cured. ONH is one of the three most common causes of visual impairment in children. CAUSES In most cases there is no known cause of ONH. Infrequently ONH has been associated with maternal diabetes, maternal alcohol abuse, maternal use of anti-epileptic drugs, and young maternal age (20 years of age or less), but these factors account for very few of the total number of cases. All races and socio-economic groups seem to be affected by ONH. CHARACTERISTICS ONH may occur by itself or along with neurological or hormonal abnormalities. Hormonal problems not apparent in early lif
