Clinical characteristics of progressive nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

To study whether patients with progressive nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) present earlier than patients with stable NAION and to describe their clinical characteristics and visual outcome.

This was a retrospective chart review. All patients with NAION seen during the acute stage from January 2012 to December 2018 were reviewed. Patients were included if they had documented disc edema and follow up of at least 3mo. Patients with progressive NAION were identified if they worsened in 2 out of 3 parameters: visual acuity ≥3 Snellen lines; Color vision ≥4 Ishihara plates; the visual field defect involved a new quadrant. The clinical characteristics, time from symptom onset to presentation, systemic risk factors and visual outcome were compared to patients with stable NAION.

Totally 122 NAION cases met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 58.1y (range 22-74), 70% were men. Twenty cases (16.4%) had progressive NAION. Patients with progressive NAION did not differ from stable NAION in their demographics, systemic risk factors or in their initial visual deficit. At last follow up, median visual acuity was 1.0 logMAR (IQR 0.64-1.55) in patients with progressive NAION, vs 0.18 (IQR 0.1-0.63) in stable NAION (P<0.001). Median color vision testing was 0 plates correct (IQR 0-2.5%) vs 92% plates correct (IQR 50%-100%) in the stable NAION group (P<0.001). Patients with progressive NAION differed in the time from symptom onset to presentation (median 2d vs 5d, P=0.011).

We find no identifiable risk factors associated with progressive NAION. Progressors arrive earlier for ophthalmological evaluation.