CITINERV

The optic nerve is made of nerve fibers originating from the retinal cells. The images projected on the retina are transformed into electrical impulses that travel along the optic nerve to the brain where they are consciously perceived. The pathology that most commonly affects the optic nerve is glaucoma. It is a group of diseases that are often associated with increased eye pressure. Onset is often insidious, and the patient does not experience any symptoms for years. If the disease is not diagnosed and treated early, nerve fibers tend to shrink gradually causing irreversible atrophy of the optic nerve. In the early stages of the overt glaucoma, patients show a reduction of the peripheral visual field, with the most aggressive forms potentially evolving into total blindness.