Related Experiment Videos
Pain in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
N G Swartz1, R W Beck, P J Savino
1Neuro-Ophthalmology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
Summary
Pain is uncommon in anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), with only 12% of patients reporting it. This contrasts sharply with optic neuritis, where 92.2% experience pain, making pain a useful diagnostic differentiator.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
Background:
- Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION) and optic neuritis share overlapping clinical symptoms and signs.
- Differentiating between AION and optic neuritis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and characteristics of pain at the onset of AION.
- To evaluate the utility of pain as a diagnostic feature distinguishing AION from optic neuritis.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 41 consecutive patients over 45 years old with clinical AION were surveyed.
- Data on pain incidence in optic neuritis was obtained from the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (448 patients).
Main Results:
- Only 12% (5 of 41) of AION patients reported pain at onset.
- In contrast, 92.2% of patients in the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial experienced pain.
Conclusions:
- While some overlap exists, the presence or absence of pain is a valuable differentiating feature between AION and optic neuritis.
- Pain is significantly less common in AION compared to optic neuritis.