Back to Journals » Clinical Ophthalmology » Volume 7

Long-term retinal nerve fiber layer changes following nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Authors Dotan G, Goldstein M, Kesler A, Skarf B

Received 8 January 2013

Accepted for publication 31 January 2013

Published 17 April 2013 Volume 2013:7 Pages 735—740

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OPTH.S42522

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 4



Gad Dotan,1 Michaella Goldstein,1 Anat Kesler,1 Barry Skarf2

1
Department of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; 2Eye Care Services, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA

Background: In cases of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness changes have been described during the first 12 months following the acute event. The purpose of this study was to report on the long-term RNFL changes in these eyes beyond the first year following onset of NAION.
Methods: Fourteen eyes of 13 patients with NAION were analyzed in this retrospective observational case series study. Uninvolved eyes served as controls. All patients underwent a complete neuro-ophthalmological examination and repeat measurements of peripapillary RNFL thickness using Stratus optical coherence tomography.
Results: On optical coherence tomography scan performed on average 6 months following onset of NAION, the mean global RNFL thickness (59.8 ± 11.8 μm) was significantly thinner (P < 0.001) compared with uninvolved eyes (95.1 ± 13.9 μm). In a second optical coherence tomography scan performed on average 13 (range 12–23) months later, the mean global RNFL thickness (58.9 ± 6.5 μm) was not significantly different (P = 0.702) from the first scan.
Conclusion: There appears to be no further RNFL loss beyond the first 6 months following an acute event of NAION.

Keywords: optical coherence tomography, retinal nerve fiber layer, nonartertic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Creative Commons License © 2013 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.