Traumatic optic neuropathy(TON) is one of the serious complications of head or craniofacial trauma. The patients with traumatic optic neuropathy are mostly young adults. It is a complication of craniocerebral injury with low incidence but severe vision loss. It can produce cruel adverse effects on patients' mental health and social adaptation.The pathogenesis of traumatic optic neuropathy has not been clearly defined. It is easy to delay diagnosis clinically. And there is a lack of unified treatment guidelines of TON. Therefore, the clinical benefits of various treatment methods are different. This paper reviewed the progress in etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of traumatic optic neuropathy by referring to the latest relevant literatures.