The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on visual functions in ischaemic optic neuropathy

The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy were studied in nine patients with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, who had been unsatisfactorily treated with corticosteroids. In four patients with signs of optic disc atrophy there was no improvement of visual functions after hyperbaric oxygen treatment, whereas in the other five patients, who had no signs of optic disc atrophy, visual acuity and visual field improved. The achieved improvements were maintained at a control examination six months later. Results suggest that hyperbaric oxygen might be a new remedy for the selected cases of non-arteritic ischaemic optic neuropathy and call for a controlled clinical study aiming to accurately assess its efficacy.