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A pilot study of the effect of intravenous erythropoetin on improvement of visual function in patients with recent indirect traumatic optic neuropathy

  • Neurophthalmology
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous erythropoietin (EPO) on improvement of visual function and color vision in patients with recent indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (TON).

Methods

In a case series, 18 eyes of 18 patients with diagnosis of indirect TON with duration of less than 2 weeks underwent 20,000 IU intravenous EPO injections daily for 3 days. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and color vision were checked by Ishihara test before, 1, and 3 months after injections. BCVA and color vision were compared before, 1, and 3 months after injections.

Results

The mean BCVA improved from a baseline of 2.21 ± 0.97 to 1.48 ± 1.29 and 1.31 ± 1.27 log MAR at months 1 and 3, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (P = 0.001, P < 0.001). Color vision was changed from a baseline 2.24 ± 4.29 to 2.94 ± 4.64 and 3.41 ± 5.09 plates at months 1 and 3, respectively. We observed some qualitative improvement that was, however, statistically insignificant at the time of evaluation. (P = 0.063, P = 0.068).

Conclusion

This case series showed noticeable effect of EPO on improvement of visual function in patients with recent indirect TON.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors has any financial/conflicting interests to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmic Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, Imam Hossein Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Morteza Entezari & Manuchehr Esmaeili

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mehdi Yaseri

Authors
  1. Morteza Entezari
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  2. Manuchehr Esmaeili
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  3. Mehdi Yaseri
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Correspondence to Morteza Entezari.

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Entezari, M., Esmaeili, M. & Yaseri, M. A pilot study of the effect of intravenous erythropoetin on improvement of visual function in patients with recent indirect traumatic optic neuropathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 252, 1309–1313 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2691-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-014-2691-6

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