Tertiary care center reports more NAION cases during COVID-19 pandemic
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Key takeaways:
- More cases of acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an earlier diagnosis.
- Most cases were associated with COVID infection or vaccination.
During a 2-year peri-COVID period, more cases of acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy were seen at a tertiary care center than during a previous 2-year period.
Most of the cases were associated with COVID infection or vaccination.
Image: Adobe Stock
A poster presented at the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society meeting reported the results of a retrospective cross-sectional study comparing the demographics, clinical characteristics and visual outcomes of patients diagnosed with acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in the peri-COVID period of March 15, 2020, to March 14, 2022, and in a previous 2-year period from Jan. 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2019.
Fifty-three NAION cases were reported in the peri-COVID period as compared with 35 in the previous 2 years. In addition, evaluation occurred sooner, after an average of 9 days, in the peri-COVID as compared with 29 days in the pre-COVID period. Twenty-five peri-COVID cases occurred after vaccination, at an interval of 4 to 196 days, with 16 cases occurring after the second mRNA vaccine dose. Four cases were associated with COVID infection, at an interval of 13 to 193 days from disease onset.
“Possible factors contributing to higher case numbers peri-COVID include causal contribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination [and] differences in medical care delivery,” the authors wrote.
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Chaitanuwong P, et al. Non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy: Changes during the COVID-19 era. Presented at: North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society meeting; March 11-16, 2023; Orlando, Florida.
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