Objective To observe the efficiency and security of enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) as an adjunctive therapy for nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Methods This was a retrospective casecontrol study. Forty-eight patients (48 eyes) with NAION were enrolled in this study. Thirty-two patients (32 eyes) who had been treated with blood vessel dilation and nerve nutrition drugs comprised the medicated group. Sixteen of the patients (16 eyes) in the medicated group were treated with EECP combined with blood vessel dilating and nerve nutrition drugs as EECP group. The differences were not statistically significant between groups in gender(chi;2=0.000), age (t=1.096), course (t=1.613) and visual acuity (chi;2=0.000,P＞0.05). EECP was done once a day, one hour per time, five times a week. Fourteen eyes were treated 12 times EECP and two eyes were treated 36 times EECP within the EECP group. Systemic and ocular side effects were observed during EECP treatment. Corrected visual acuity was examined after treatment and the differences of visual acuity between medicated group and EECP group treated six times and or 12 times with EECP treatment were analyzed. The correlation of visual acuity level, and course, and acuity before treatment were analyzed. A significant improvement in visual acuity was defined as a sustained improvement of three or more visual acuity gradations. An effective of treatment was defined as a sustained improvement of two or less visual acuity gradations. No effective of treatment was defined as visual acuity dropped or showed no progress. Results After six treatments of EECP, within the 16 eyes of EECP group, two eyes achieved significant improvement, five eyes had effective improvement, and nine eyes did not show any improvement. Within the 32 eyes of medicated group, three eyes achieved significant improvement, eight eyes had effective improvement, and 21 eyes did not show any improvement. There was no statistically significant difference in vision between the two groups (chi;2=0.404,P＞0.05). After 12 treatments of EECP, within the 16 eyes of EECP group, six eyes achieved significant improvement, nine eyes had effective improvement, and one eye did not show any improvement. Within the 32 eyes of medicated group, four eyes achieved significant improvement, 10 eyes had effective improvement, and 28 eyes did not show any improvement. The difference was statistically significant comparing the vision level between the two groups (chi;2=11.621,P＜0.05）. The curative effect of patients negatively correlated with course of the disease (r=-0.860，P＜0.05), but positively correlated with visual acuity before treatment (r=1.380,P＜0.05). Skin bruises, hematoma, new retinal bleeding and other side effects did not occur in patients during EECP treatment. Conclusions Many time therapy of EECP can improve vision of NAION patients. There is no local and general complications after a certain number of therapy.
Objective To observe the effect of lowering intraocular pressure(IOP) treatment on ocular hemodynamics in patients with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Methods A total of 68 patients with NAION (68 eyes) were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into treatment group (38 eyes of 38 patients) and control group (30 eyes of 30 patients). All the patients were received methylprednisolone pulse therapy (200 mg, three days), vasodilator therapy with intravenous infusion of Xueshuantong solution (300 mg), optic nerve nutritional therapy with mouse nerve growth factor (30 mu;g) and acupoint injection in temporal with compound anisodine (2 ml). The total course was 10 days. The patients of treatment group received IOP lowering treatment to reduce the IOP to ge;8 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) or in a 30% reduction. The patients of control group received no IOP lowering treatment. The peak systolic velocity (PSV), pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA) and short posterior ciliary arteries (PCA) before and after treatment were comparatively analyzed by color doppler flow imaging. Results The differences of PSV (t=1.023, 1.145, 0.569), PI (t=0.679, 0.956, 1.634) and RI (t=0.816, 1.657, 0.998) of OA, CRA and PCA before treatment in treatment group and control group were not statistically significant (P＞0.05). Compared with before treatment, PSV (t=3.150, 7.650, 3.520) and PI (t=2.420, 5.430, 7.650) of OA, CRA and PCA increased obviously (P＜0.05), RI of OA, CRA and PCA decreased obviously (t=5.320, 9.640, 18.360;P＜0.05) after treatment in treatment group. In control group, the differences of PSV (t=2.090, -2.550, -2.100) and PI (t=-2.310, -2.230, -4.490) of OA, CRA and PCA between before and after treatment were not statistically significant (P＞0.05); but the differences of RI of OA, CRA and PCA between before and after treatment was statistically significant (t=2.970, 2.160, 2.690;P＜0.05). Compared with control group, PSV (t=2.632, 2.135, 5.364) and PI (t=3.251, 2.432, 4.243) of OA, CRA and PCA increased obviously (P＜0.05), RI of OA, CRA and PCA decreased obviously (t=3.664, 2.938, 4.324;P＜0.05) after treatment in treatment group. Conclusion Lowering intraocular pressure treatment can improve the ocular hemodynamics in NAION patients.