There are differences between optic nerve damage and optic nerve atrophy in terms of etiology and clinical manifestations. 1. Etiology (1) Optic nerve damage: occlusion of the ophthalmic artery, inflammation, tumor compression, eye trauma, brain trauma and other factors can cause optic nerve damage. (2) Optic nerve atrophy: Increased intracranial pressure, intracranial inflammation, retinopathy, optic nerve damage, and hereditary diseases such as Leber’s disease can cause optic nerve atrophy. 2.Clinical manifestations (1) Optic nerve damage: The clinical manifestations of ipsilateral vision loss or total blindness are more severe than those of retinopathy. (2) Optic nerve atrophy: the atrophy process of primary optic nerve atrophy is downward, the optic disk is pale, the boundary is clear, and the retinal blood vessels are generally normal; the atrophy process of secondary optic nerve atrophy is upward, the optic disk is dark, the boundary is blurred and indistinct, the physiological depression disappears, and the retinal blood vessels become thin. Both are diseases occurring in the optic nerve, and there is a certain causal link, optic nerve damage can lead to optic nerve atrophy, but there are still differences between the two in many aspects, it is recommended that patients go to a regular hospital to actively diagnose and follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment.