Serious injury to the optic nerve, including direct and indirect events, induces significant visual loss and even blindness. For the past decade corticosteroids and/or optic canal decompression surgery have been widely embraced therapeutic paradigms for the treatment of traumatic optic neuropathy. There is little clinical evidence, however, to support the effectiveness of these strategies, raising questions about the efficiency of current therapy for improving visual outcomes. Recently, experimental studies have yielded a wealth of information related to the protection and regeneration of retinal ganglion cells, showing promise for the development of novel and effective treatments for optic nerve injury.
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