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Cranial optic nerve involvements in patients with severe COPD.
Cengiz Ozge1, Aynur Ozge, Ayça Yilmaz
1Department of Chest Disease, Mersin University School of Medicine, Turkey. cengizozge@mersin.edu.tr
Respirology (Carlton, Vic.)
|November 5, 2005
Summary
Optic nerve damage is common in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), affecting over 80% of patients. This nerve involvement is linked to breathing issues and acidosis, not age or smoking.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pulmonology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Neuropathy is a known complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Optic nerve involvement in COPD patients is understudied.
- Assessing cranial neuropathies is crucial for understanding COPD morbidity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate peripheral optic nerve involvement in severe COPD patients.
- To identify factors influencing optic nerve condition in COPD.
Main Methods:
- Included 28 severe COPD patients (GOLD criteria) and 20 healthy controls.
- Utilized visual evoked potential (VEP) assessment.
- Conducted clinical and laboratory examinations to rule out other neuropathy causes.
Main Results:
- Significant VEP abnormalities were found in 82.1% of COPD patients.
- Amplitude abnormalities were the most common VEP finding.
- COPD patients showed more VEP abnormalities than healthy controls.
Conclusions:
- The optic nerve is frequently affected in severe COPD, potentially as part of a polyneuropathy.
- Optic nerve involvement correlates with acidosis, hypercarbia, and airway obstruction.
- Findings are independent of disease duration, smoking history, and patient age.