Table 4. Reasons for prescribing steroids and factors influencing the decision, among physicians who treated at least one patient with optic neuritis per year and completed the corresponding survey questions^*.

	Ophthalmologists n=120	Neurologists n=102	p value**
	More likely	More likely
Severe visual loss	84%	90%	p<0.01
Severe pain	65%	81%	p<0.01
Bilateral involvement	88%	90%	p=0.29
Abnormal brain MRI	59%	52%	p=0.22
	Very Important	Very Important	P value
Shorten duration of visual symptoms	32%	65%	p<0.01
Affect visual outcome	13%	27%	p<0.01
Reduce future MS	36%	12%	p<0.01
Patient preference	24%	11%	p=0.42

^*Not all surveyed physicians completed all questions. This is why the denominator number of ophthalmologists and neurologists varies from question to question

^**p values refer to the significance of the difference between the numerical value of the responses of ophthalmologists and neurologists.