High-dose intravenous pulse steroid therapy for optic disc swelling and subretinal fluid in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a disease with microvascular abnormality that causes acute optic disc swelling (ODS) and, in severe cases, subretinal fluid (SRF) accumulation. ODS causes compartment syndrome and subsequent axonal degeneration and loss of retinal ganglion cells by apoptosis. No treatment modalities have been effective, although some cases improved after the intake of oral systemic steroids. We reported a case of a 72-year-old man who was referred due to a visual defect in the right eye. At first presentation, visual acuity and visual field were disturbed; critical flicker frequency (CFF) was decreased; and optic coherence tomography (OCT) showed ODS and SRF. Microscopic examination revealed parapapillary hemorrhage and fluorescence angiography showed non-filling, temporal-superior choroidal lesion adjacent to the optic disc at an early phase. After high-dose intravenous steroid treatment, SRF and ODS were decreased, and completely resolved after 30 days. Visual acuity and CFF were improved, and visual field was enlarged. High-dose intravenous steroids could possibly resolve SRF and ODS and improve visual function of patients with NAION. Some cases in NAION improved visual acuity and visual function in natural course, more cases were needed to evaluate the efficiency.