[Acute ischemic optic neuropathy]

The authors presented a case of a woman, 78, with anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy--presumed Horton's disease. During 3 weeks before the patient was referred to the clinic, she had complained of strong head-, jaw- and ear-ache, bad general feeling and decreased appetite. At this time the patient was examined by a neurologist, a laryngologist and an internist, who did not find any pathology. The aim of this paper is to take into consideration the importance of early diagnosis in acute ischaemic optic neuropathy, especially that of arteritic etiology, which very often leads to blindness. This disastrous course could be avoided by early applied steroid therapy.