Non-Simultaneous Bilateral Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Related to High Altitude and Airplane Flight in a Patient with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

• Published in: Diagnostics (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 12; p. 2325
• Main Authors: Boned-Murillo, Ana, Esteban-Floria, Olivia, Martinez-Velez, Mireya, Mateo Gabas, Javier, Ascaso Puyuelo, Francisco Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10-12-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Altitude; Brain research; Case Report; cerebral small vessel disease; Conflicts of interest; Hemorrhage; high altitude; Hypoxia; non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION); Patients; Stroke; Tomography; hypoxia; cerebral small vessel disease; high altitude; non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION)
• ISSN: 2075-4418; 2075-4418
• DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11122325

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) is considered the most frequent type of acute optic neuropathy. A 61-year-old woman presented with a NA-AION in her right eye within 24 h following an airplane flight. One year later, after driving for 10 days with a daily accumulated altitude of 1500 m, she developed a NA-AION in her left eye. Systemic disorders were investigated, and cerebral small vessel disease was observed via cranial computed tomography. An inadequate response to hypoxia, in a patient with individual susceptibility, could lead to reduced blood supply to the optic nerve head, which could represent an underlying cause of NA-AION.