RNFL Loss Research Articles

Development of Microcystoid Macular Degeneration in the Retina of Nonhuman Primates: Time-Course and Associated Pathologies

Purpose Microcystoid macular degeneration (MMD) is a condition where cystoid vacuoles develop within the inner nuclear layer of the retina in humans in a variety of disorders. Here we report the occurrence of MMD in non-human primates (NHPs) with various retinal ganglion cell (RGC) pathologies and evaluate the hypothesis that MMD does not precede RGC loss but follows it. Methods Morphological studies were performed of the retinas of NHPs, specifically both rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), in which MMD was identified after induction of experimental glaucoma (EG), hemiretinal endodiathermy axotomy (HEA), and spontaneous idiopathic bilateral optic atrophy. In vivo imaging analyses included fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), light microscopy, and electron microscopy. Results MMD, like that seen on OCT scans of humans, was found in both rhesus and cynomolgus macaques with EG. Of 13 cynomolgus macaques with chronic EG imaged once with OCT six of 13 animals were noted to have MMD. MMD was also evident in a cynomolgus macaque with bilateral optic atrophy. Following HEA, MMD did not develop until at least 2 weeks following the RNFL loss. Conclusion These data suggest that MMD may be caused by a retrograde trans-synaptic process related to RGC loss. MMD is not associated with inflammation, nor would it be an independent indicator of drug toxicity per se in pre-clinical regulatory studies. Because of its inconsistent appearance and late development, MMD has limited use as a clinical biomarker.

Case series: Superficial plexus en face may aid distinction of retinal nerve fiber layer loss from diabetic retinal ischemia versus glaucoma.

This study aimed to demonstrate that the pattern and degree of capillary bed dropout in early glaucoma appear different on OCT-A superficial plexus en-face slabs compared with retinal ischemia. RNFL loss associated with retinal ischemia in diabetic patients may be explained and accounted for by overlying the RNFL deviation map on a superficial plexus en-face montage. Three middle-aged White men with diabetes mellitus showed cup-to-disc ratios of approximately 0.7 and RNFL and ganglion thinning. Each patient had several Cirrus OCT and OCT-A scans taken of the posterior pole. The OCT-A en-face images demonstrated specific patterns of superficial capillary dropout. The appearance of superficial plexus capillary dropout in one case of glaucoma is contrasted against two cases of retinal ischemia. Early glaucoma appears to be associated with incomplete capillary bed dropout that extends from macular regions to the disc in a wedge- or arc-shaped pattern. Diabetic retinal ischemia appears to be associated with well-defined patchy and polygonal pockets of complete capillary bed obliteration that may not extend back to the disc. If an RNFL deviation map is superimposed over the superficial plexus en-face montage, areas of RNFL loss may correlate with and thus be well accounted for by areas of retinal ischemia in cases with RNFL thinning likely from ischemia. This approach may supplement inspection of OCT B-scans for focal retinal thinning when trying to differentiate RNFL and ganglion cell loss from retinal ischemia versus glaucoma in patients with diabetes. Formal research studies are needed to validate our observations and proposed use of OCT-A together with OCT in these patients.

Visual function resists early neurodegeneration in the visual system in primary progressive multiple sclerosis

BackgroundNeurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the visual system but dynamics and pathomechanisms over several years especially in primary progressive MS (PPMS) are not fully understood.MethodsWe assessed longitudinal changes in...

Evaluation of visual field changes with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in primary congenital glaucoma.

To evaluate visual field changes in primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness on optical coherence tomography. In this cross-sectional, observational study, consecutive PCG children who underwent combined trabeculotomy with trabeculectomy and on regular follow-up were enrolled. All patients were aged over four years and co-operative for RNFL OCT and visual field examination. Perimetry was done on Humphrey visual field (HVF) analyzer using 30-2 and 10-2 SITA standard algorithms as appropriate. If a reliable automated perimetry was not feasible, kinetic perimetry was done. The following were noted at baseline and every follow-up: age, sex, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), cup-disc ratio (CDR), corneal diameters, refraction, any topical antiglaucoma medications, surgeries underwent, age at surgery and duration between surgery and final examination. Forty-eight eyes of 34 children operated for PCG and 19 eyes of 17 controls were analyzed. A statistically significant thinner average RNFL thickness of 87.2 ± 28 μm was noted in PCG eyes as compared to controls with 100.6 ± 7.2 μm (P = 0.04). The mean cup-disc area ratio on OCT in PCG eyes was 0.43 ± 0.2 (0.02-0.93) and in control eyes was 0.23 ± 0.07 (0.1-0.4) (P < 0.001). On RNFL OCT, there was significant focal RNFL loss in temporal superior (P = 0.003), nasal inferior (P = 0.037) and temporal inferior (P < 0.001) quadrants compared to controls. Among PCG eyes, 20/48 eyes (41.7%), had definitive, reproducible glaucomatous VF defects. Mean baseline IOP in PCG eyes with VF defect was 28.7 ± 5.7 mmHg and in eyes with normal VF was 24.6 ± 5.9 mmHg (P = 0.03). On univariate regression analysis, higher baseline IOP was significantly associated with both RNFL loss (odds ratio (OR): -2.17) and VF defects (OR: 3.35). Fluctuation in follow-up IOP (OR: 3.33) was also significantly associated with the presence of VF defects. On multivariable regression analysis maximum, IOP was significantly associated with RNFL loss and VF defects. Peripapillary RNFL thickness could be used to identify PCG eyes having visual field loss and possibly poor visual function from PCG eyes without visual field defects. Baseline and follow-up IOP, significantly correlated with RNFL thickness in PCG eyes.

Difference in topographic morphology of optic nerve head and neuroretinal rim between normal tension glaucoma and central retinal artery occlusion

Although central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) has its own defining pathomechanism and clinical characteristics, morphologic feature of the optic nerve head (ONH) during its later stage is not diagnostic, which makes it difficult to differentiate CRAO from other optic neuropathies. This cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the differences in the topographic morphology of the ONH in eyes with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and CRAO. Thirty-one eyes with NTG; 31 eyes with CRAO; and 31 healthy fellow eyes of the subjects with CRAO were included. ONH morphology was evaluated by measuring horizontal rim width (HRW), minimal rim width in the selected horizontal image (MRW), and lamina cribrosa curvature index (LCCI) in horizontal B-scan images obtained using enhanced depth-imaging optical coherence tomography. HRW was smaller and LCCI was larger in NTG eyes than in both CRAO and healthy fellow eyes (both P < 0.001), while both were comparable between CRAO and healthy fellow eyes. MRW differed significantly among the three groups, being smallest in NTG eyes followed by CRAO and healthy fellow eyes (P < 0.001). NTG and CRAO eyes with a similar degree of RNFL loss differed in ONH morphology, indicating that mechanisms of ONH damage differ between these two conditions.

Reduction of Retinal Thickness Ipsilateral to Hippocampal Sclerosis in Epilepsy.

Objectives: Reductions in the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) have been reported in epilepsy, namely in drug-resistant people. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is the most frequent cause of drug-resistant epilepsy in tertiary care centers. We aimed to evaluate the likelihood and characteristic of RNFL loss in individuals with epilepsy having HS.Methods: Fifty-five adults diagnosed with unilateral HS (mean age of 25 years; 42 female) by magnetic resonance imaging were included in this observational cross-sectional study, 58 age-matched individuals with epilepsy with no detectable structural brain abnormality were included as non-HS, and 55 people without neurological diseases were included as healthy controls. pRNFL of both eyes was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). In each individual disease related information was recorded.Results: Among the 55 individuals with unilateral HS, one (1.82%) and ten (18.18%) had significant or borderline abnormal thinning of the pRNFL of the ipsilateral eye to the HS. The average pRNFL ipsilateral to the side of HS was significantly thinner than people with epilepsy non-HS (p = 0.013) and healthy controls (p = 0.000), especially in the inferior quadrants. Only age was significantly correlated with the average and inferior quadrant pRNFL thickness of the ipsilateral eye to the HS (R = −0.286, p = 0.035; R = −0.353, p = 0.008 respectively).Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that retinal abnormalities associated with HS may have a specific pattern. Further studies need to confirm this finding and to unravel the underlying mechanism.

Effect of combined water drinking test and dark room provocative testing in Caucasian eyes with narrow angles.

To assess the usefulness of water drinking test and dark room provocative testing (WDT + DRPT) in current clinical practice by evaluating input parameters from Swept-source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT) images, and to determine if clinical factors like axial length, central endothelial cell count (CECC) and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFL) thickness are associated with a positive WDT + DRPT. SS-OCT examination was performed in consecutive subjects presenting as new patients in the outpatient clinic aged > 40 years. If at least one eye met the inclusion criteria (anterior chamber angles <20° and anterior chamber depth < 2.5 mm on SS-OCT), subjects were included in this study and WDT + DRPT was carried out. The eye with the smallest angle was analysed. The difference in parameters between eyes with a positive (≥8 mmHg) and negative (<8 mmHg) increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) after WDT + DRPT were statistically analysed. Second, the correlation between IOP increase after WDT + DRPT and anterior chamber angle parameters (RNFL thickness, CECC and axial length) was studied. A total of 95 subjects with a mean age of 64 years were included. There was an association between IOP increase after WDT + DRPT and anterior chamber angle characteristics, however this was not of clinical significance. No positive results after WDT + DRPT were found in patients with anterior chamber angles ≥ 20°. The present findings indicate that this combined provocative test has no definite correlative or predictive value in angle closure disease. Further, the test is not useful in predicting early diagnosis or possible CECC or RNFL loss.

The effect of anxiety and depression on progression of glaucoma

Glaucoma is considered a chronic disease that requires lifelong management. Chronic diseases are known to be highly associated with psychological disturbances such as depression and anxiety. There have also been many studies on association between anxiety or depression and glaucoma. The majority of these studies explained that the glaucoma diagnosis causes anxiety or depression. However, It is also necessary to evaluate whether the psychological disturbance itself affect glaucoma. Therefore, we investigated the association of anxiety and depression with glaucoma progression, and elucidate mechanisms underlying that. We included 251 eyes with open angle glaucoma who were followed up for at least 2 years in this retrospective case–control study. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depressive Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used to assess anxiety and depression in glaucoma patients. Patients were classified into groups (high-anxiety group; HA-G, low-anxiety group; LA-G, high-depression group; HD-G, low-depression group; LD-G) according to their score on the BAI or BDI-II (separately). In logistic regression analysis, disc hemorrhage, peak intraocular pressure (IOP) and RNFL thickness loss rate were significantly associated with high anxiety (p = 0.017, p = 0.046, p = 0.026). RNFL thinning rate and disc hemorrhage were significant factors associated with anxiety in multivariate models (p = 0.015, p = 0.019). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the rate of RNFL thickness loss and BAI score (B = 0.058; 95% confidential interval = 0.020–0.097; p = 0.003), and RNFL loss and IOP fluctuation (B = 0.092; 95% confidential interval = 0.030–0.154; p = 0.004). For the depression scale, visual field mean deviation and heart rate variability were significantly associated with high depression in multivariate logistic regression analysis (p = 0.003, p = 0.006). We suggest that anxiety increase the risk of glaucoma progression and they are also associated with IOP profile and disc hemorrhage.

Dry eye disease and retinal nerve fiber layer changes in chronic smokers.

Purpose:To study the effect of smoking on tear film parameters and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) in chronic smokers.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study, which included 60 (120 eyes) smokers who have smoked at least 10 pack-year and an equal number of healthy subjects as a control for comparison. In addition to history, a detailed slit-lamp examination was done to evaluate the anterior and posterior segments. All patients underwent Schirmer’s I test (SIT) with Whatman-41 filter paper, tear meniscus height (TMH), and RNFL with a Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and tear film breakup time (TBUT) with 2% fluorescein and cobalt blue filter using slit-lamp biomicroscopy.Results:The (mean ± SD) age of the participants was 56.48 ± 10.38 years. There was a statistically significant reduction in tear film parameters in smokers compared to nonsmokers (P = 0.000). The incidence of MGD was found to be higher in smokers when compared to nonsmokers with a P value of 0.000. RNFL in all four quadrants was also significantly reduced in smokers compared to nonsmokers (P = 0.00).Conclusion:This study shows that chronic smoking leads to an increased incidence of dry eye disease and is associated with RNFL thinning. Smoking can result in cumulative RNFL loss in patients with ocular neurodegenerative disorder and OCT of these patients may have to be interpreted keeping this in mind.

Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness changes after panretinal photocoagulation and its relation with visual acuity changes in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Background: Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is currently the main treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive method of analyzingin vivo retinal architecture. Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the effect of PRP on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) in patients with diabetic retinopathy using OCT and to correlate peripapillary RNFLT changes with the changes in visual acuity (VA). Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study including eighty eyes of eighty patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and severe non-PDR. PRP was done with frequency-doubled Nd: YAG (532 nm) laser. Peripapillary RNFLT was measured by spectral-domain OCT at baseline and 6 months post-PRP and assessed using paired t-test. The baseline VA and changes in VA 6 months post PRP were recorded. The relationship between RNFL loss and changes in VA was assessed using ANOVA and independent t-test. Results: The mean age of the patients was 60 years, with 65% of males and 35% of females. At 6 months post-PRP, there was a significant reduction in average RNFLT with a reduction in all quadrants, except in the temporal quadrant. According to interval changes of VA, the patients were divided into improved (22.5%), unchanged (48.8%), or worsened (28.7%) groups. Improved VA group showed a significant decrease in peripapillary RNFLT. Conclusion: RNFLT reduction following PRP can be due to axonal loss secondary to the direct or indirect effects of PRP. The extremely mild reduction in the temporal quadrant can be due to the sparing of papillomacular bundle during laser treatment.

Pattern of RGCs loss in toxic optic neuropathies

AbstractToxic optic neuropathies are characterized by bilateral visual loss, papillomacular bundle damage, central or centrocecal scotoma and color vision defect. Multifactor causes play important role in disease manifestation, and nutritional and/or genetic defects (such as mitochondrial DNA mutation) could trigger the disease. Toxic optic neuropathies cause defect to mitochondrial metabolism with consequent damage of retinal ganglion cells with higher energy (ATP) demand. The pattern of RGC and RNFL loss follow a specific pattern characterized by preferential involvement of fibers of papillo‐macular bundle anatomical distribution, the typical feature of mitochondrial diseases.

Glaucoma Optic Neuropathy Progression: the Results of Long-Term Follow-Up

Purpose: to investigate the average speed and risk factors for the glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) progression during longterm observation. Patients and methods. The 10-year data of 750 patients were analyzed. The average GON progression rate was calculated on the basis of perimetry and optical coherent tomography data. Further, according to inclusion and exclusion criteria 128 patients were included into the group of retrospective analysis. Resultes. The following risk factors were established: initial cornealcompensated IOP (IOPcc) &gt; 23.6 mm Hg (AUC 0.7), IOPcc after 5 years &gt; 19.8 mm Hg (AUC 0.83), age &gt; 69.5 years (AUC 0.6), corneal hysteresis &lt; 9.9 mm Hg (AUC 0.6) and retinal nerve fiber layer &lt; 92 μm (AUC 0.6). Patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome, and patients taking systemic calcium channel blockers (p = 0.01) also had the higher risk of GON progression. Its rate was lower in patients with arterial hypertension (p = 0.015), and in patients who received prostaglandin analogues (risk was 5 times reduced, p = 0.04) and fixed combinations (risk was 2 times reduced, p = 0.018). IOPcc of higher than 17.6 mm Hg in the long-term period is the most pronounced risk factor for the progression of GON. It was determined that the average ROP of glaucoma progression among the patients was 0.6 dB/year for ROP1, 0.62 ± 1.09 μm/year for ROP2 and 0.95 ± 3.28 μm/year for ROP3, also each 1 dB/year decrease in photosensitivity (in group with glaucoma progression) was associated with further loss of RNFL (3.9 µm/year). Conclusion. The use of prostaglandin analogues and fixed combinations reduces this risk.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-positive optic neuritis masquerading as pseudotumor cerebri at presentation

Optic neuritis (ON) is a common clinical manifestation in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease. Other clinical manifestations include acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis, transverse myelitis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders. Uncommon presentations of MOG-positive disease have recently been reported. ON in MOG-positive disease commonly involves the anterior portion of both optic nerves, leading to bilateral disc swelling. During the early stages of ON, in the setting of bilateral disc swelling and pain, patients may initially be suspected as pseudotumor cerebri (PTC). In this study, we report five cases presenting early in the course of MOG-IgG-related ON, which were misdiagnosed as PTC in the emergency department. MOG-IgG-positive ON requires timely treatment to prevent RNFL and vision loss secondary to the high relapse rate associated with these antibodies. Our aim is to increase the awareness of the unique findings of MOG-IgG-positive ON, which may initially mimic PTC, thereby delaying treatment.

Progressive Chronic Retinal Axonal Loss Following Acute Methanol-induced Optic Neuropathy: Four-Year Prospective Cohort Study

To study the dynamics and clinical determinants of chronic retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) loss after methanol-induced optic neuropathy. Prospective cohort study. All patients underwent complete ophthalmic evaluation including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography 3 times during 4 years of observation: 4.9 (±0.6), 25.0 (±0.6), and 49.9 (±0.5) months after discharge. Eighty-four eyes of 42 survivors of methanol poisoning, mean age (standard deviation) of 45.7 (±4.4) years; and 82 eyes of 41 controls, mean age 44.0 (±4.2) years. Global and temporal RNFL loss. Abnormal RNFL thickness was registered in 13 of 42 (31%) survivors of methanol poisoning and chronic axonal loss in 10 of 42 (24%) patients. Significant decrease of global/temporal RNFL thickness during the observation period was found in the study population compared to the controls (P < .001). The risk estimate of chronic global RNFL loss for arterial blood pH < 7.3 at admission was 11.65 (95% confidence interval 1.91-71.12) after adjusting for age and sex. The patients with chronic axonal degeneration demonstrated progressive visual loss in 7 of 10 cases. The patients with abnormal RNFL thickness had magnetic resonance signs of brain damage in 10 of 13 vs 8 of 29 cases with normal RNFL thickness (P= .003). Signs of brain hemorrhages were present in 7 of 13 patients with abnormal RNFL thickness vs 5 of 29 cases with normal RNFL thickness (P= .015). Methanol-induced optic neuropathy may lead to chronic retinal axonal loss during the following years. Arterial blood pH on admission is the strongest predictor of chronic RNFL thickness decrease. Chronic retinal neurodegeneration is associated with the progressive loss of visual functions and necrotic brain lesions.

Ganglion cell layer analysis unmasks axonal loss in anterior optic neuritis.

Optical coherence tomography is a valuable tool for evaluating patients with neuro-ophthalmic disorders. In the acute phase of anterior optic neuritis (ON), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) measurements can underestimate the amount of damage as axonal swelling could mask the true degree of RNFL loss. Contrary to pRNFL evaluation, we hypothesize that macular ganglion cell layer analysis could detect true neuronal loss before swelling resolution in anterior ON. We describe 4 patients with anterior ON in whom ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thinning was detected earlier than pRNFL loss. GCIPL analysis may provide more accurate information than pRNFL thickness and serve as an early structural indicator of irreversible neuronal loss.

Comparison of the Normal, Preperimetric Glaucoma, and Glaucomatous Eyes with Upper-Hemifield Defects Using SD-OCT

Purpose: We compared the thickness of circumpapillary retinal nerve fiver layer (cpRNFL) and macular ganglion cell layer with inner plexiform layer (GCL + IPL) using Cirrus HD-OCT (Ver.6.0: Carl Zeiss). Materials and Methods: This study included 12 eyes of normal controls, 10 eyes of preperimetric glaucoma (PPG) with loss of RNFL either in superior or in inferior hemisphere without visual field defects, and 22 eyes of glaucoma eyes with visual field defects restricted to upper hemifield (UHFD: early 10 eyes, severe 12 eyes). The cpRNFL thickness analyzed from disk center by dividing into 12 sectors. The GCL + IPL thickness analyzed from central fovea by dividing into six sectors. Both compared between normal eye group and other 3 groups using the average value of each sectors. Result: The cpRNFL and the GCL + IPL thickness were obviously thin as compared with normal eyes. Conclusion: Even if it is in the state where abnormalities are not detected using the Humphrey field Analyzer, it is suggested that the early structural change of glaucoma has already arisen.

Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury Precedes RNFL Loss In Acute Optic Neuritis (P6.284)

Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury Precedes RNFL Loss In Acute Optic Neuritis (P6.284)

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Atrophy Is Associated With Visual Field Loss Over Time in Glaucoma Suspect and Glaucomatous Eyes

To compare prospectively detection of progressive retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) atrophy identified using time-domain optical coherence tomography with visual field progression using standard automated perimetry in glaucoma suspect and preperimetric glaucoma patients or perimetric glaucoma patients. Prospective, longitudinal clinical trial. Eligible eyes with 2 years or more of follow-up underwent time-domain optical coherence tomography and standard automated perimetry every 6months. The occurrence of visual field progression was defined as the first follow-up visit reaching a significant (P < .05) negative visual field index slope over time. RNFL progression or improvement was defined as a significant negative or positive slope over time, respectively. Specificity was defined as the number of eyes with neither progression nor improvement, divided by the number of eyes without progression. Cox proportional hazard ratios were calculated using univariate and multivariate models with RNFL loss as a time-dependent covariate. Three hundred ten glaucoma suspect and preperimetric glaucoma eyes and 177 perimetric glaucoma eyes were included. Eighty-nine eyes showed visual field progression and 101 eyes showed RNFL progression. The average time to detect visual field progression in those 89 eyes was 35 ± 13months, and the average time to detect RNFL progression in those 101 eyes was 36 ± 13months. In multivariate Cox models, average and superior RNFL losses were associated with subsequent visual field index loss in the entire cohort (every 10-μm loss; hazard ratio, 1.38; P= .03; hazard ratio, 1.20; P= .01; respectively). Among the entire cohort of 487 eyes, 42 had significant visual field index improvement and 55 had significant RNFL improvement (specificity, 91.4% and 88.7%, respectively). Structural progression is associated with functional progression in glaucoma suspect and glaucomatous eyes. Average and superior RNFL thickness may predict subsequent standard automated perimetry loss.

Quantitative assessment of the visual pathway by DTI‐MRI in Glaucoma

AbstractPurpose In glaucomatous optic nerve atrophy (glOA) damage of retinal ganglion cells may continue to the linked optic radiations (OR). This study investigated differences between glOA and non‐glOA in relation to impairment of the optic radiations using DTI‐MRI.Methods We examined 42 patients with healthy optic nerve head and no ophthalmological signs of an affected visual pathway, 134 glOA patients, and 35 non‐glOA patients (mean age 54±15.9 years, 64±12.4 years, and 49±15.2 years, respectively). The participants underwent the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to measure the axonal integrity, i.e. fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), and demyelination, i.e. radial diffusivity (RD), in the semi‐automatically outlined optic radiations. The results were correlated with the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) acquired by the Spectralis optical coherence tomography and with the mean defect provided by standard automatic perimetry.Results Age correlated significantly with the DTI parameters in all groups. If corrected for age only in the glOA patient group the mean defect correlated with FA (r=‐0.31; p=0.004) and RD (r=0.22; p=0.043). In the non‐glOA group the RNFL correlated with MD (r=‐0.57; p=0.027) and RD (r=‐0.59; p=0.019). The control group did not show a correlation of DTI parameters with the mean defect or RNFL.Conclusion In both types of optic nerve atrophy a correlation was found between visual field and axonal integrity/ demyelination of the optic radiations, and the reduction of the RNFL was associated with an impairment of the axonal integrity/ demyelination of the optic radiation. The damage of the optic nerve was significantly associated with loss of RNFL and ageing.

Visual and anatomical outcomes of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy with high-dose systemic corticosteroids

To evaluate the visual and anatomic outcomes after systemic steroid treatment in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Ten eyes from ten patients diagnosed with NAION and treated during the acute phase with 80 mg daily, tapering-down dose of corticosteroids were compared with a non-contemporary cohort of 27 patients that received no treatment. The visual outcomes of treated and untreated group were compared. Patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination including determination of Snellen visual acuity (VA), visual fields (VFs) (standard automated perimetry, Swedish Interactive Testing Algorithm 24-2 strategy), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning of the optic nerve head at diagnosis, 6-8 weeks and 6 months after presentation. No statistical differences were found between steroid-treated and untreated NAION for the median change in VA (Mann-Whitney P = 0.28), median change in VF mean deviation (MD) and median change in VF pattern standard deviation (PSD) (Mann-Whitney P = 0.213 and P = 0.07 respectively). Statistical analysis showed no differences when comparing average RNFL loss (P = 0.871) and RNFL loss for superior, nasal, inferior and temporal optic disc quadrants between both groups. Complications occurred in three of the ten treated patients (30%); in one of them, steroid therapy had to be discontinued. Another two patients developed a NAION in their fellow eye after 2 and 3 months while on low-dose prednisone. No complications developed in the control group. The study was interrupted early due to a significantly higher rate of complications observed in the treated group (P = 0.002) High-dose systemic steroid treatment did not show any beneficial effect in visual and anatomic outcomes when given during the acute phase of NAION. Furthermore, it caused serious complications in a third of the patients treated.