title: The use of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography for differentiating long-standing central retinal artery occlusion and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on the efficacy of macular and optic nerve spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in differentiating between long-standing central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
  
  
  METHODS
  SD-OCT scans of the macula and optic nerve in 24 patients with unilateral optic atrophy secondary to CRAO (12 patients) and NAION (12 patients) were compared both qualitatively and quantitatively for differentiating features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with long-standing CRAO, there was a significantly greater (P < .001) thinning of the macula relative to the fellow uninvolved eye (-59.7 ± 31.8 μm) compared to patients with longstanding NAION (-19.9 ± 8.4 μm) even though both conditions caused a similar (P = .726) degree of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer loss (-42.4 ± 18.5 μm and -44.1 ± 12.4 μm, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SD-OCT macular scans can be used as an adjunctive tool for differentiating between longstanding CRAO and NAION.
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dotan
authors.forename: Dafna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kesler
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Naftaliev
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loewenstein
authors.forename: Michaella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001167:Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields