&NA;Important data on optic neuritis were collected in the course of evaluation of the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial, but the discussion concerning the differential diagnosis, implications for treatment, and applicability of the results to multiple sclerosis continues. Modern neuroimaging techniques enable correlation of magnetic resonance imaging findings with clinical, electrophysiological, and morphological changes during acute inflammation of the optic nerve. New insights into the pathophysiology of optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis have not resulted in a breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis thus far. Important contributions were published on tumors affecting the visual pathways, such as optic nerve involvement in lymphoproliferative diseases, optic nerve sheath meningiomas, and optic gliomas. Whereas modern neuroimaging proves invaluable in managing patients with the first two disorders, optic gliomas remain puzzling to clinicians and neuroradiologists. New considerations emerge concerning the management of tumors affecting the suprasellar space, the skull base, and brainstem.Current Opinion in Ophthalmology 1993,4;VI:22‐29