title: Alterations of the outer retina in non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy detected using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A characteristic disease pattern may be reflected by retinal layer thickness changes in non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy measured using spectraldomain optical coherence tomography. Retinal layer segmentation is enabled by advanced software. In this study, retinal layer thicknesses in acute and chronic non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-centre cross-sectional analysis was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 27 patients (20 age-matched healthy eyes) were included: 14 with acute (<7 days) and 13 patients with chronic non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Macular volume and 12° peripapillary ring optical coherence tomography scans were used.
  
  
  METHODS
  The peripapillary thicknesses of the following layers were determined by manual segmentation: retinal nerve fibres, ganglion cells + inner plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer + outer plexiform layer, outer nuclear layer + inner segments of the photoreceptors and outer segments of the photoreceptors to Bruch's membrane. Macular retinal layer thicknesses were automatically determined in volume cubes centred on the fovea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peripapillary retinal swelling in acute nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy was attributable to retinal nerve fibre layer, ganglion cell layer/inner plexiform layer and outer nuclear layer/segments of the photoreceptors thickening. In chronic cases, peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer, macular ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer thinning were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In acute non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, the inner and outer peripapillary retinal layers are affected by thickness changes. In chronic cases, atrophy of the ganglion cells and their axons and dendrites is evident by inner retinal layer thinning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brachert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ringelstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Finis
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geerling
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aktas
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guthoff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D018917:Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D055214:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields
keywords: AION; SD-OCT; optic disc; retinal imaging