[A man with acute decline in vision and sleep apnoea].

BACKGROUND

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common acute optic neuropathy in people older than 50 years.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 66-year-old man with hypertension consulted the ophthalmologist because of increasing visual-field loss in his right eye; 3 weeks previously he had noticed visual decline in the same eye when he woke up. The eye was not painful. Further questioning revealed that the patient also suffered from sleep apnoea. Following additional investigations we diagnosed NAION.

CONCLUSION

There is no effective treatment for NAION. Risk factors such as high blood pressure and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome can be addressed to reduce the risk of reoccurrence of NAION in the other eye.