Consecutive optic atrophy is associated with diseases that affect the inner retina or its blood supply. Some of those conditions include retinitis pigmentosa, pathological myopia, following pan-retinal photocoagulation, extensive retinochoroiditis, and central retinal artery occlusion.

Optic atrophy is an end stage that arises from myriad causes of optic nerve damage anywhere along the path from the retina to the lateral geniculate. Since the optic nerve transmits retinal information to the brain, optic atrophy is associated with vision loss.

上行性视神经萎缩(ascending optic atrophy)是由于视网膜或脉络膜的广泛病变，引起视网膜神经节细胞的损害而导致的视神经萎缩，因此又名视网膜性视神经萎缩(retinitic optic atrophy)或连续性视神经萎缩(consecutive optic atrophy)。

Consecutive optic atrophy, often due to high myopia, retinitis pigmentosa, and some other conditions, which cause the retina to turn waxy or pale and result in loss of surrounding arteries. Glaucomatous optic atrophy, or damage to the optic nerve caused by high eye pressure associated with glaucoma.

继发性视神经萎缩(secondary optic atrophy)是由于长期的视盘水肿或严重的视盘炎而引起的视神经萎缩。 病变多局限于视盘及其邻近区域，所以其眼底改变也仅限于视盘及其邻近的视网膜。