MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF THE BRAIN IN NONARTERITIC ISCHEMIC OPTIC NEUROPATHY

We wished to determine whether the number of central nervous system (C NS) white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increa sed in patients with nonarteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). T -2-Weighted axial images of the brain in 13 patients with acute NAION and 16 age-matched controls were used to tabulate the number of subcor tical and periventricular white matter lesions. Groups were compared b y t test for means, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test, and chi-s quare test for proportions with at least one lesion. The mean number o f CNS white matter ischemic lesions in the NAION group was 4.0 (range 0-20) as compared to 1.4 (range 0-7) in the control group. The differe nce in these samples suggested a significant increase in NAION (p = 0. 069, rank-sum test). The proportions of patients with at least one les ion were not significantly different (53.8% NAION vs. 56.3% controls). The data suggest an increased number of CNS white matter lesions in p atients with NAION.