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A Venous Etiology for Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

Leonard A. Levin, MD, PhD; Helen V. Danesh-Meyer, FRANZCO

Arch Ophthalmol. 2008;126(11):1582-1585.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

INTRODUCTION

Visual information travels from the eye to the brain via the optic nerve, a 3.5-mm-thick central nervous system structure approximately the same diameter as the cable connecting a video camera to a computer. As might be expected, damage to the optic nerve deprives the brain of visual input and causes visual loss. Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common acute optic neuropathy of middle and late life, with an annual incidence of up to 10 cases per 100 000 individuals older than 50 years.¹ It is characterized by rapid and painless unilateral visual loss, altitudinal visual field defects, and optic disc swelling.

NAION is a perplexing disorder. No treatment is effective, visual improvement is unimpressive,² and the pathophysiology is unknown.³ A feature common to patients with NAION is a crowded optic disc, the structure through which 1 200 000 axons from . . . [Full Text of this Article]

NAION OFTEN DOES NOT HAVE CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ARTERIAL DISEASE

NAION DOES NOT HAVE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ARTERIAL DISEASE

RISK FACTORS FOR NAION ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO ARTERIAL DISEASE

HYPOTHESIS: NAION IS A PRIMARY VENOUS OCCLUSIVE DISEASE

VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY EXPLAINS SEVERAL IDIOSYNCRATIC FEATURES OF NAION

TESTABLE IMPLICATIONS

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Author Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison (Dr Levin); and Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland Medical School, Auckland, New Zealand (Dr Danesh-Meyer).

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RELATED LETTERS

Pathogenesis of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
Sohan Singh Hayreh
Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(8):1082-1083.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pathogenesis of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy—Reply
Leonard A. Levin and Helen V. Danesh-Meyer
Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(8):1083-1084.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

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Pathogenesis of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
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Arch Ophthalmol 2009;127:1082-1083.
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Pathogenesis of Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy--Reply
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Arch Ophthalmol 2009;127:1083-1084.
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