Evaluation of acute anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy using diffusion tensor imaging

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Diagnosing acute anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION) presents challenges with conventional imaging.
• Traditional methods often lack the sensitivity to detect subtle optic nerve changes in AION.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in identifying optic nerve abnormalities in patients with acute AION.
• To evaluate DTI as a potential diagnostic tool for AION.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans were performed on 31 patients diagnosed with acute AION.
• DTI data from 20 healthy individuals served as a control group.
• Quantitative analysis of mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was conducted.

Main Results:

• Affected optic nerves in AION patients exhibited significantly reduced mean FA and increased mean ADC compared to both healthy controls and unaffected contralateral nerves (p < 0.001).
• No significant differences in FA or ADC were observed between healthy control nerves and clinically unaffected contralateral nerves (p = 0.73 and 0.92).

Conclusions:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) demonstrates significant diagnostic potential for acute anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (AION).
• DTI may offer a novel imaging modality for the detection, evaluation, and monitoring of AION.
• This technique could facilitate the assessment of therapeutic interventions for AION.