Regional hemodynamics characteristics in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

BACKGROUND: Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) takes the first place in the total amount of acute vascular optic neuropathy cases. There is no common understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms of disease. This is largely due to the absence of direct optic nerve head blood flow registration method in ophthalmology. AIM: The aim of this work is to evaluate ocular hemodynamics using different methods in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 73 patients were enrolled in the study. 46 patients (46 eyes) with NAION were included in the first group. Control group was composed of 27 patients (50 eyes) with systemic risk factors of NAION without any retinal and optic nerve diseases. Regional hemodynamics parameters were evaluated with ophthalmosphigmography, ophthalmoplethysmography, ophthalmoreography, OCT-angiography and EDI-OCT. RESULTS: Blood flow values in different parts of the choroid did not statistically differ between groups when using ophthalmosphigmography, ophthalmoplethysmography, ophthalmoreography methods. Radial peripapillary capillaries in optic nerve head area were evaluated, and statistically significant difference was found in all sectors. CONCLUSION: The main component of NAION pathogenesis is a decreasing perfusion pressure in paraoptic short posterior ciliary arteries. Blood flow in choroid does not play an important role in the disease pathogenesis.