Short-term results of steroid treatment in patients with non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy

Aims: To evaluate the effects of steroid treatment on the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in patients with non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Methods: The retrospective study included 24 eyes of 24 patients who received 1 gram/day pulse steroid treatment for 3 days with a diagnosis of NAION. The patient's comorbidities, demographic information, intraocular pressure, BCVA, and RNFL measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were recorded before and after treatment at one month. Results: The mean age of the patients was 64.35±14.6 (22-86). Diabetes mellitus was present in 14 patients (58.3%), hypertension in 13 (54.2%), and coronary artery disease in 5 (27.8%). The pre-treatment BCVA was 0.33±0.37, and post-treatment BCVA was 0.37±0.36 (p=0.345). The pre-treatment RNFL value was 208.0±57.9, and the post-treatment RNFL value was 113.6±32.6 (p<0.000). No additional complications related to treatment were observed. Conclusion: While there was no significant difference in BCVA values one month after steroid treatment, a significant anatomical improvement was observed in RNFL thickness.