Ischemic optic neuropathy: Diagnosis and therapy

Abstract

Age, natural history, telltale disc morphology and functional follow-up with simple efficient methods (visual acuity, pupil dynamics, visual field, desaturated color vision, contrast sensitivity frequency, flicker fusion frequencies) are important for distinguishing optic neuritis from non-arteritic anterior/posterior ischemic optic neuropathy. The diagnosis of arteritic (inflammation) from non-arteritic cases is of prime importance as the correct therapeutic approach (intravenous methylprednisolone) will save the function of the fellow nerve in arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy. The natural history and evaluation of relatively infrequent progression in non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy with assessment of optic nerve sheath fenestration deserve further multicenter studies.

Key Words:

• Optic neuritis
• ischemic optic neuropathy
• non-arteritic
• arteritic
• optic nerve sheath fenestration