GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: an illustrative case

DEVEBACAK A., Top Karti D., SUTAŞ B., Tunc M., KARTI Ö., SAATCİ A. O.

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/08164622.2026.2725047
  • Dergi Adı: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Clinical relevance Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy may occur following exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, although a causal relationship has not been established.Background Recent evidence has raised concern regarding a possible association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. We describe an illustrative case occurring in a younger patient without diabetes mellitus or hypertension.Methods A 37-year-old woman with obesity and insulin resistance developed painless unilateral visual loss following three once-weekly doses of semaglutide, all administered before symptom onset. Clinical examination, multimodal ophthalmic imaging, visual field testing, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations were performed.Results The right eye showed optic disc oedema, a dense inferior altitudinal visual field defect, and marked peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickening, supporting a diagnosis of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. Investigations excluded alternative inflammatory, demyelinating, infectious, arteritic, compressive, and pseudopapilloedema-related causes. At three months, the optic disc oedema had resolved with residual pallor, while the visual field defect persisted.Conclusions Although causality cannot be established from a single case, recent glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist exposure may be relevant when evaluating atypical optic neuropathy in younger patients.