Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Neuro-Ophthalmology

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pulmonology
• Neurology

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent pulmonary condition with significant systemic effects.
• Growing evidence highlights OSA's connection to neuro-ophthalmic disorders.
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for OSA may potentially reverse ocular pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and various ophthalmic conditions.
• To review the current literature on OSA's impact on neuro-ophthalmology.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed using Ovid Medline and Google Scholar.
• The search focused on studies examining the link between OSA and specific eye diseases, including retinopathy, optic neuropathy, glaucoma, and intracranial hypertension.

Main Results:

• OSA is independently associated with hypertension, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and their related retinopathies.
• Evidence supports a link between OSA and central serous retinopathy (CSR), nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), and stroke.
• Associations with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), glaucoma, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) are less clear, though OSA is common in patients with CSR and IIH.

Conclusions:

• OSA is implicated in numerous neuro-ophthalmic diseases.
• Further research is necessary to determine the efficacy of CPAP in reversing OSA-related ocular damage.
• Ophthalmologists should consider screening for OSA in patients with specific eye conditions.