After a brief bibliographical introduction the author's report on 14 cases of cavernous degeneration of the optic nerve, based upon the study of 1,831 autoptic cases. All the subjects examined showed lesions of a senile degenerative type in the vessels afferent to the retro-laminar segment of the optic nerve. The pathogenetic mechanism of the lesion under examination seems therefore to be attributable to ischaemic cause of a chronic type. Myopia and glaucoma, if present, would also seem to contribute, as they cause disorders of the blood system in this region.