Three months follow-up of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and visual field in eyes with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Muh-Chiou Lin

Purpose:
To evaluate longitudinal changes of in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness by optical coherence tomography and the correlated visual filed in eyes with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

Methods:
Retrospective consecutive chart review

Results:
Seven eyes of 7 patients with NAION were participated and 2 cases were excluded due to loss of follow-up. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was measured with RTVue OCT ( Optovue, Inc) RNFL and ONH mode. Visual field were obtained from central 30-2 threshold test ( Humphrey Filed Analyzer II). The fellow eyes served as controls. Cases with inferior altitudinal visual field changes demonstrated swelling then atrophy changes of RNFL thickness in superior and temporal sectors. Besides, even in relatively unaffected sectors corresponding to visual field, RNFL loss were also noted. Cases with generalized visual field loss demonstrated extensive changes in all quadrants.

Conclusions:
OCT demonstrate the RNFL edema in acute stage and subsequent RNFL loss in NAION patients. Though the visual filed were relative unaffected, more extensive RNFL loss were also demonstrated by OCT.