The optic nerve pathology in magnetic resonance imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) delineates the orbital soft tissue excellently and is a valuable diagnostic tool in optic nerve pathology. By using different imaging parameters some examples are shown of demarcation of optic nerve tumors, optic nerve inflammations and orbital diseases surrounding the optic nerve. Whereas CT appears to be superior to MRI only in the detection of calcified perioptic meningiomas, MRI provides unique visualization of optic canal and even subarachnoidal space of retrobulbar optic nerve in peculiar cases.