Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: Clinical Characteristics in Diabetic Patients Versus Nondiabetic Patients

Objective To investigate various aspects of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) in patients with diabetes mellitus and to compare them with those in patients without diabetes mellitus. Design Cohort study. Participants A total of 655 consecutive patients (931 eyes) with NA-AION, first seen in the clinic from 1973 to 2000. Methods At the first visit, all patients had a detailed ophthalmic and medical history and comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation, including color fundus photography and fluorescein fundus angiography. Visual evaluation was done by recording visual acuity with the Snellen visual acuity chart and visual fields with a Goldmann perimeter. The same ophthalmic evaluation was performed at each follow-up visit, except for fluorescein fundus angiography. Of this cohort, 528 eyes (345 patients) were treated with systemic corticosteroid therapy during the initial stage. Main Outcome Measures Demographic and clinical differences between diabetic patients and nondiabetic patients with NA-AION. Results Comparison of various clinical features of NA-AION in diabetic and nondiabetic patients showed no significant difference in age, but slightly more women than men (45% vs 38%; P = 0.078) were diabetic and had a higher prevalence of hypertension ( P