Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Research Articles

Use of brimonidine tartrate eye drops after nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy event: Case series

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the response of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness to brimonidine tartrate (0.15%) eye drops after a nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) event. Methods: Series of cases with retrospective data collection of medical records and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations to evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer from 63 eyes of 36 patients with nonarteritic AION. The patients were collected according to the clinical criteria from the ophthalmology service of a major hospital. Healthy subjects were recruited from the general clinic and hospital staff. Patients were randomized into three groups: Group 1: patients using brimonidine tartrate (0.15%) eye drops, Group 2: patients without using eye drops, and Group 3: control group. Results: The group without medication had a statistically significant loss of lower nerve fiber layer (P = 0.025) and in the mean OCT (P = 0.035); however, in the other quadrants, the thickness reduction was not statistically significant. They showed a pattern of greater loss in the upper portion (P = 0.065), followed by the lower (P = 0.025), temporal (P = 0.051), and nasal (P = 0.07) portions, but the ISNT rule was preserved. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the nonuse of brimonidine tartrate led to a statistically significant loss of the lower nerve fibers layer and in the mean OCT.

Antimyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody positive optic neuritis mimicking as arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: A diagnostic dilemma

Abstract We present here an interesting case of antimyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-positive atypical optic neuritis (ON) mimicking as arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The aim of the report is to focus on the rare presentation of atypical ON which can create a diagnostic dilemma. The case focuses on the role of clinical acumen and an aggressive approach toward these cases.

Predictors of Permanent Vision Loss in Giant Cell Arteritis

ABSTRACT To report on the occurrence and characteristics of eye manifestations and determine the predictors of permanent vision loss (PVL) in patients with giant cell arteritis. Case-control study. Retrospective cohort study of 258 patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis (GCA) over a 20- year period at a single institution. Eighty nine of 258 patients (34.5%) with GCA had vision symptoms and 56 (21.7%) developed PVL. Acute loss of vision with no preceding ocular symptoms occurred in 28.5%; for those with symptoms, median time to vision loss was 4.5 days. Bilateral clinical eye involvement was present in 38%, mostly anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), rarely vascular occlusions. Vision loss was severe with acuity of count fingers or less or mean deficit −20 decibels or less in at least one eye in 80% of patients with PVL. Following initiation of GC treatment, 23% of patients continued to have further vision loss and only 5% showed improvement. We found predictors of PVL by multivariate analysis to be increased age (OR 1.05, p0.040), jaw claudication (OR 2.29, p = .040), diplopia (OR 2.74, p = .039), increased platelets (OR 2.98, p = .020) and lower CRP (OR 0.63, p = .004). We found there is a 27.3% decrease in the odds of having PVL when CRP value is doubled, keeping all other variables fixed. Permanent vision loss was 3.07 times more likely in the absence of polymyalgia rheumatica and 4.25 times more likely in patients without headaches. Ocular involvement in GCA is common, usually severe with little chance of recovery. Detailed analysis of visual acuity and visual field loss in our PVL cohort adds valuable data to the literature which lacks this information. Older patients with jaw claudication, diplopia, and increased platelets are at higher risk for permanent vision loss, especially when PMR and headache are absent and acute phase reactants lower.

Exploring the contribution of carotid artery disease to the onset of non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathies: A systematic review.

The role of carotid artery disease (CAD) in the development of various types of ocular arterial occlusive disorders has often been reported. This systematic review aims to evaluate and review the current evidence regarding the role of CAD and the subsequent carotid artery hemodynamic alterations in the development of non-arteritic anterior (NA-AION) and posterior (NA-PION) ischemic optic neuropathy. We systematically reviewed studies following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for relevant studies that clearly assessed the role of CAD and the subsequent carotid artery hemodynamic alterations in the development of NA-AION and NA-PION. All studies that examined the associations between CAD and the development of NA-AION and NA-PION in adults aged 18 years or older were synthesized. Quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports and Case-Series were also conducted. Our search identified 1933 manuscripts published in the English language. The number of participants with non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-ION) ranged from 1 to 191, with a total of 478 patients experiencing either NA-AION (410 out of 478), NA-PION (13 out of 478), or a combination of thereof (1 out of 478). The number of participants with NA-ION due to atherosclerosis ranged from 1 to 191, with a total of 376 patients. Although carotid artery disease may rarely contribute to the development of NA-ION, it should be considered as a possible cause of NA-ION.

Amaurosis Post-Bilateral Neck Dissection: A Systematic Review

AbstractTo discuss the prevalence of amaurosis post-bilateral radical neck dissections; and to provide a management algorithm that highlights the approaches undertaken in available literature to minimize incidence and maximally improve outcomes. This objective will be achieved by systematically reviewing and highlighting current literature. We systematically reviewed Pubmed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for articles pertaining to the management of amaurosis post-bilateral neck dissection. A comprehensive search of available literature was conducted by two independent authors to yield 23 articles to be included in the review. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs and outcome measures, findings were summarized and analyzed descriptively. 23 cases were reported between 1960 and 2021; n = 21 were reported through case reports. Neck dissection type alongside pharyngectomy (n = 7) and laryngectomy (n = 13) status were documented. Mean symptomatic onset was 7.3 ± 5.561 days; median onset n = 3. Seven reported symptoms post-operative day (POD) 0. n = 17 patients underwent bilateral radical neck dissections. n = 16 patients reported intraoperative hypotension. Investigations the patients underwent were documented. The most common causes of the disease included posterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (PION) (n = 8) and anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) (n = 5). The mean transfused amount of blood was 750 ml. The most common management of amaurosis post-bilateral neck dissection were through high dose corticosteroids. Mannitol and acetazolamide were also documented managements of the condition. Overall, there is a paucity of evidence pertaining to the management of amaurosis post-bilateral neck dissection; highlighting the importance of reviewing the available literature and proposing a management algorithm.

Does Inter-Eye Asymmetry of Disc Area Explain Differences in Onset of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy?

Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common acute optic neuropathy in individuals over the age of 50 years. It is associated with conventional vascular risk factors and structural vulnerabilities including "disc-at-risk." We aim to ascertain if a correlation exists between optic nerve head size and the onset of NAION. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral NAION who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field testing. The primary outcome measure was the disc area as measured on OCT at a follow-up (minimum 6 months after acute vision loss) of the involved (or first involved for bilateral cases) vs fellow eye. The secondary outcome was the cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) of the first vs fellow eye. Seventy-three patients were included, of which 58 (79%) had unilateral and 15 (21%) had bilateral NAION, with a median follow-up of 23 months. Between the first eye involved and the fellow eye, there were no statistically significant differences in the mean disc area (1.69 ± 0.29 vs 1.71 ± 0.29, P = 0.7). However, average CDR (0.41 ± 0.20 vs 0.28 ± 0.18, P < 0.001) and vertical CDR (0.42 ± 0.20 vs 0.28 ± 0.19, P < 0.0001) were significantly larger in the involved eye. Despite no statistically significant differences in the disc area between the affected eye and the fellow eye, CDR was larger in eyes with a history of NAION compared with fellow eyes. Further research is required to elucidate local factors that may increase the risk of NAION in one eye relative to the other.

Clinical outcomes of radial optic neurotomy versus pars plana vitrectomy in recent onset non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

This study investigated the effect of pars plana vitrectomy (VIT) versus pars plana vitrectomy combined with radial optic neurotomy (RON) on recent onset non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). In this prospective interventional case series, individuals with recent-onset NAION, lower than one month and low vision (lower than 20/200) were recruited. Patients randomly underwent either VIT, or RON. 34 eyes of 34 patients were included in this study. 10, 9, and 15 eyes were randomly included in VIT, RON, and control groups, respectively. The BCVA of the VIT group improved significantly from 1.84 ± 0.5 logMAR at baseline to 1.29 ± 0.67, 0.93 ± 0.53, and 0.77 ± 0.47 logMAR at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively (Ps < 0.05). The corresponding values for RON group were 1.73 ± 0.53 logMAR at baseline, which improved to 1.04 ± 0.65, 0.64 ± 0.28, and 0.61 ± 0.26 logMAR at the same follow-up visit times (P < 0.05).The corresponding values for the control group were 1.6 ± 0.58 log MAR at baseline, which improved to 1.03 ± 0.29, 1.00 ± 0.32, and 0.32 ± 0.83 log MAR at the same follow-up visit times. There was no significant statistical difference in BCVA between the three groups. However, both interventions resulted in statistically significant improvement in mean deviation (MD) of visual field (VF) compared with the control group at the end of 6 months (VIT P = 0.006, RON P = 0.043). RNFLT decreased from baseline 235.3 ± 44.01 to 75.6 ± 17.68 at 1 month in the VIT group (P < 0.001), from baseline 268.22 ± 65.9 to 76.67 ± 10.59 at 1 month in RON (P < 0.001), while it decreased from baseline 179.48 ± 39.02 to 112.92 ± 44.51 at 1 month in the control group. VIT and RON showed promising results in terms of MD of VF, and optic disc edema resolved faster in these groups compared to the control group in recent onset NAION. A larger sample size study is deemed necessary to generalize the results of this study.

Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy and the Risk of Dementia: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

While emerging theories suggest that vascular dysfunction may occur concurrently with the amyloid cascade in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis, the role of vascular components as primary neurodegeneration triggers remains uncertain. The aim of this retrospective, population-based cohort study conducted in Korea was to explore the link between nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and dementia risk. In this nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study, we identified newly diagnosed NAION from 2010 to 2017 in the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. The primary outcome was new dementia diagnoses confirmed by new ICD-10 claims coupled with antidementia medication prescriptions. We assessed dementia risk using hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs over an average 2.69-year follow-up after a 1-year lag period. The cohort consisted of 42,943 patients with NAION and 214,715 age-matched and sex-matched controls without NAION (mean age 61.37 years ± 10.75 SD, 55.48% female). The study found a higher risk of all-cause dementia (ACD; HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.20-1.36), AD (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.18-1.36), vascular dementia (VaD; HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.09-1.58), and other dementia (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.11-1.73) among patients with NAION, regardless of other potential confounding factors such as age, sex, lifestyle behaviors, economic status, and preexisting health conditions. In subgroup analysis, the associations between NAION and ACD were stronger in the younger age group (HR 1.83 for those younger than 65 years vs 1.23 for those 65 years or older; p for interaction <0.001). Moreover, the association of NAION with both ACD and VaD was particularly strong among current smokers. We found a significant association between NAION and increased risk for ACD, AD, VaD, and other dementia even after adjusting for potential confounders such as lifestyle, health conditions, and demographic factors within a nationwide cohort. This study highlights the potential role of vascular pathology in dementia progression and suggests that NAION may serve as a robust predictor for dementia, highlighting the need for comprehensive neurologic assessment in patients with NAION. Further research is needed to clarify the association between NAION and dementia risk.

Differentiating optic neuropathies using laser speckle flowgraphy: Evaluating blood flow patterns in the optic nerve head and peripapillary choroid.

To compare blood flow (BF) impairment patterns in different optic neuropathies using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG). This retrospective study enrolled 24 eyes of 24 patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAAION), 59 eyes of 59 patients with optic neuritis (ON), 677 eyes of 677 patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG), and 110 eyes of 110 controls. The patient backgrounds of all groups were compared. Ophthalmologic findings were evaluated, adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure, pulse rate, and underlying systemic diseases with 1:1 optimal propensity score matching. We used LSFG to obtain optic nerve head (ONH) vessel-area mean blur rate (MBR; ONH-MV), ONH tissue-area MBR (ONH-MT), and choroidal MBR. The NAAION and ON groups were compared with the control and OAG groups. Best-corrected visual acuity was worse in the NAAION, ON, and OAG groups than in controls (p < 0.001). Circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was higher in the NAAION and ON groups and lower in the OAG group than in controls (p < 0.001). Compared to controls, the NAAION and OAG groups had significantly lower ONH-MV, ONH-MT, and choroidal MBR (p < 0.05). Additionally, the NAAION group had lower ONH-MV and choroidal MBR than the OAG group (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively) but no difference in ONH-MT (p = 0.857). The ON group had significantly lower ONH-MV and choroidal MBR compared to the controls (p < 0.001 and p = 0.022, respectively) but no difference in ONH-MT (p = 0.773). Optic neuropathies showed different patterns of ocular BF impairment. Therefore, LSFG can be a useful tool for differentiating optic neuropathies.

Optical coherence tomography angiography findings in patients affected by giant cell arteritis, with and without ocular involvement: a pilot study.

We evaluated the clinical features and retinal and disk perfusion characteristics by using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in a subset of giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients who manifested anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), in a subset of GCA patients without ocular involvement, and in a control group composed of healthy controls. We performed an observational study on the eyes of GCA patients affected by arteritic AION both in acute and chronic phases, unaffected eyes of AION, eyes of GCA patients without ocular involvement, and in a control group of healthy eyes of healthy individuals. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination and an OCT and OCTA of the macula and the disk. The study evaluated 10 eyes of GCA patients with AION (AION group), 8 unaffected eyes of GCA patients with AION in another eye (unaffected eyes of AION group), 16 eyes of GCA patients without ocular involvement (non-ocular group), and 22 eyes of healthy patients (healthy group). The ganglion cell complex (GCC) superior and inferior thicknesses were significantly lower in the AION group compared to the unaffected eyes of the AION group (p = 0.045 and p = 0.034, respectively). All OCTA vascular density parameters of the optic disk analyzed in this study (optic nerve head (ONH) whole, superior, inferior, radial peripapillary capillary plexus (RPCP) whole, superior, inferior, lamina cribrosa (LC) whole, superior, inferior) resulted significantly lower in the AION group compared to the unaffected eyes group (p < 0.05 for all the comparisons). The ONH whole and inferior were statistically higher in the healthy group in comparison to the group of GCA patients without ocular involvement (p = 0.008 and p = 0.006, respectively). The ONH inferior was also statistically higher in the unaffected eyes of the AION group in comparison to the non-ocular group (p = 0.045). Regarding the OCTA macular vessel density parameters, the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), whole and inner, were statistically lower in the AION group compared with the unaffected eyes of the AION group. We found a profound vascular impairment in eyes affected by AION and areas of hypoperfusion in the eyes of patients with GCA without ocular involvement, good BCVA, and no clinically significant features. We hypothesized that these areas of lower vessel density might represent areas of subclinical hypoperfusion that cannot be detected ophthalmoscopically.

Nonadherence to Cardiovascular Drugs Predicts Risk for Non-Arthritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Large-Scale National Study.

Purpose: While patients with cardiovascular comorbidities are at a higher risk for the occurrence of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), it is unclear whether adherence to medication results in risk reduction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether nonadherence to medical therapy for cardiovascular morbidity correlates with a higher risk for NAION when compared to patients with strict adherence. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted among members of Clalit Health Services in Israel from 2001 to 2022. For each of the 757 NAION cases, three controls (totaling 2271 patients) were matched based on birth year and sex, with a propensity score analysis employed to adjust for a range of comorbidities. A patient was deemed nonadherent with medical treatment if their purchased quantity of medication was less than 60% of the prescribed annual dosage. Mixed models were used to evaluate exposure differences, and conditional logistic regression was applied, incorporating adjustments for socioeconomic status and ethnicity, to examine the impact of medication nonadherence on NAION risk. Results: A total of 3028 patients were included in the study; 757 patients with the diagnosis of NAION and 2271 in the matched control group. The average age of NAION patients was 69 ± 9 years and 55% were male. After adjustments for socioeconomic status and ethnicity, nonadherence to calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.71) and anti-arrhythmic (OR: 5.67, 95% CI: 1.89-21.2) medications emerged as significant risk factors. Similarly, nonadherence to cardioprotective medications (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.23-1.74) was also identified as a significant risk factor. Conclusions: Nonadherence to treatments for cardiovascular disease, specifically to medications known to improve prognosis, is associated with a higher risk for NAION.

Relating Standardized Automated Perimetry Performed with Stimulus Sizes III and V in Eyes With Field Loss due to Glaucoma and NAION.

Standard automated perimetry (SAP) visual field (VF) results are more repeatable using Goldmann stimulus size V (stimV) in eyes with moderate/severe deficits due to glaucoma. There are few reports relating VFs using stimulus size V and III, typically used in the clinic for glaucoma, and none for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). We hypothesized that we could compare and relate the VFs with both stimuli for glaucoma and NAION. We utilized 1992 same-day pairs of stimIII and stimV SAP VFs using the 24-2 strategy for eyes with glaucoma or NAION. We explored the optimal threshold to censor the raw sensitivities, prior to calculating age-standardized total deviations (TD). We determined the mean and standard deviation of the differences among all TD pairs. We computed a line of best fit to determine closeness to the line of unity. The ideal censoring conversion threshold was 21 dB for stimIII and 24 dB for stimV. The difference between stimV and stimIII censored (0.0 ± 1.9 dB) and uncensored (0.4 ± 2.6 dB) TD pairings strongly correlate with each other (r2 = 0.70, p < 0.001). The line of best fit from these pairings has a slope of 0.92, which is similar to that of the line of unity (m = 1). Censoring plus age correction is a valid method of comparison between stimIII and stimV SAP VFs with moderate to severe VF loss due to optic nerve disorders. StimIII and stimV TDs are interchangeable in clinical practice.

Risk factors and treatment window in arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: a case study

A 76-year-old NZ European man presented with sudden onset visual loss in his left eye after experiencing intermittent temporal aches and blurry vision for over a month. He had a history of stroke and hyper- tension but no past ophthalmological history. A pale optic disc, raised inflammatory markers, and temporal artery biopsy confirmed a diag- nosis of acute arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy secondary to giant cell arteritis. High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone was administered within 24 hours of presentation, but the likelihood of vision loss reversal was unlikely.

Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION) associated with Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy (PAMM) and Cilioretinal Artery Occlusion (CILRAO): multimodal imaging of a newly described clinical association.

To report multimodal imaging features of a novel association of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM), and cilioretinal artery occlusion (CILRAO). A 74-year-old male patient presented complaining of an acute subjective decline in visual acuity in the right eye over the previous days. This patient underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological assessment, including multimodal retinal imaging and visual field test. The eye examination revealed yellowish optic disc edema in the right eye with peripapillary hemorrhages and a whitish lesion extending from the temporal margin of the optic nerve head towards the macula. Multimodal imaging confirmed the diagnosis of NAION in the right eye. Notably, the structural B-scan and en face OCT images revealed hyperreflective areas in the inner and mid retinal layers, indicating an association with CILRAO and PAMM. We herein describe the clinical findings of a previously unreported association among NAION, CILRAO and PAMM.

Risk of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in Patients Prescribed Semaglutide

Anecdotal experience raised the possibility that semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) with rapidly increasing use, is associated with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). To investigate whether there is an association between semaglutide and risk of NAION. In a retrospective matched cohort study using data from a centralized data registry of patients evaluated by neuro-ophthalmologists at 1 academic institution from December 1, 2017, through November 30, 2023, a search for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision code H47.01 (ischemic optic neuropathy) and text search yielded 16 827 patients with no history of NAION. Propensity matching was used to assess whether prescribed semaglutide was associated with NAION in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) or overweight/obesity, in each case accounting for covarying factors (sex, age, systemic hypertension, T2D, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease) and contraindications for use of semaglutide. The cumulative incidence of NAION was determined with the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusted for potential confounding comorbidities. Data were analyzed from December 1, 2017, through November 30, 2023. Prescriptions for semaglutide vs non-GLP-1 RA medications to manage either T2D or weight. Cumulative incidence and hazard ratio of NAION. Among 16 827 patients, 710 had T2D (194 prescribed semaglutide; 516 prescribed non-GLP-1 RA antidiabetic medications; median [IQR] age, 59 [49-68] years; 369 [52%] female) and 979 were overweight or obese (361 prescribed semaglutide; 618 prescribed non-GLP-1 RA weight-loss medications; median [IQR] age, 47 [32-59] years; 708 [72%] female). In the population with T2D, 17 NAION events occurred in patients prescribed semaglutide vs 6 in the non-GLP-1 RA antidiabetes cohort. The cumulative incidence of NAION for the semaglutide and non-GLP-1 RA cohorts over 36 months was 8.9% (95% CI, 4.5%-13.1%) and 1.8% (95% CI, 0%-3.5%), respectively. A Cox proportional hazards regression model showed higher risk of NAION for patients receiving semaglutide (hazard ratio [HR], 4.28; 95% CI, 1.62-11.29); P < .001). In the population of patients who were overweight or obese, 20 NAION events occurred in the prescribed semaglutide cohort vs 3 in the non-GLP-1 RA cohort. The cumulative incidence of NAION for the semaglutide vs non-GLP-1 RA cohorts over 36 months was 6.7% (95% CI, 3.6%-9.7%) and 0.8% (95% CI, 0%-1.8%), respectively. A Cox proportional hazards regression model showed a higher risk of NAION for patients prescribed semaglutide (HR, 7.64; 95% CI, 2.21-26.36; P < .001). This study's findings suggest an association between semaglutide and NAION. As this was an observational study, future study is required to assess causality.

IgG4-related orbital disease presenting as optic neuropathy: A rare presentation and review of literature

A 74-year-old male presented with a sudden drop of vision in the left eye for 5 days. He had a relative afferent pupillary defect and visual acuity of counting finger at 1 m in the left eye. Fundus showed a hyperaemic disc in the left eye. Ocular movements were full. He had uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. A possibility of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy was considered. The patient was lost for follow-up and came back 2 months later with visual acuity of perception of light in the left eye with features suggestive of orbital apex syndrome. Histopathology was confirmatory of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) disease. IgG4 disease presenting as optic neuropathy can be an early manifestation of orbital involvement.

Short-Term Deterioration of Visual Acuity and Visual Fields in Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

PurposeTo determine the frequency and severity of further visual loss experienced by patients within ten weeks from diagnosis of acute non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. (NAION). DesignRetrospective case series. MethodsElectronic medical records (EMR) at an academic neuro-ophthalmology practice were searched for diagnosis of “NAION” and all identified charts were reviewed to determine eligibility. Patients diagnosed with acute NAION between February 2014 and December 2023 who presented within four weeks of symptom onset and were seen in follow-up within ten weeks were included. Clinically significant decline in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and peripheral VF were defined as decline of BCVA ≥2 Snellen lines and decrease of ≥2 decibels (dB) in mean deviation (MD) on perimetric testing. ResultsForty-nine eyes met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sixty-seven percent of patients were male and average age at presentation was 66 years. Twenty-two percent of eyes demonstrated worsening of BCVA by ≥2 lines. Of these, 55% worsened by ≥4 lines and 27% by ≥8 lines. In 27% of eyes MD on perimetry worsened by ≥2 dB and in 18% by ≥4 dB. In total, 41% of eyes demonstrated clinically significant worsening of BCVA or VF. ConclusionsSubacute deterioration of BCVA and/or VF following acute NAION is not uncommon while optic disc edema is present, with sizeable proportion of patients experiencing dramatic visual decline. Deterioration in visual function within the first 10 weeks of presentation does not exclude the diagnosis of NAION and further investigations should only be performed if additional clinical features are discordant with this diagnosis.

THE IMPACT OF AI AND ML ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

THE IMPACT OF AI AND ML ON ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Clinical Characteristics of Non-arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy and Clinical Outcomes of Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy

Clinical Characteristics of Non-arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy and Clinical Outcomes of Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy

Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Associated with Takayasu Arteritis.

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis with granulomatous panarteritis particularly impacting large vessels including the aorta and its branches, especially the subclavian arteries, with clinical manifestation dependent on the involved artery. Sequelae of the active disease vary, including stenosis, occlusions, or aneurysmal dilatations of the large vessels. The prevalence of Takayasu arteritis is higher in the Asian population and in Japan, but quite low in the United States, varying from 0.9-8.4 per million people. Ocular manifestations are rare and lead to a delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Ocular manifestations include Takayasu retinopathy, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), retinal artery occlusion (RAO) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). We present two cases in which central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) was associated with Takayasu arteritis. CRAO is an ophthalmic emergency with an incidence of 1.9 per 100,000 person years in the United States; only 5% of cases are arteritic, which can be observed with inflammatory vasculitides secondary to the formation of immune deposits.