Non-Arteritic Ischaemic Optic Neuropathy Associated with Semaglutide Use.

Irish medical journal2026PMID: 41589628

Plain Language Summary

Case report of a 50-year-old obese male with T2DM on semaglutide presenting with sudden painless vision loss, diagnosed with right-eye NAION (Frisen grade IV optic nerve head edema confirmed by OCT), with vision improvement after semaglutide cessation. Contributes to the pharmacovigilance literature on semaglutide-associated NAION—documenting vision recovery following drug discontinuation and emphasizing the importance of immediate semaglutide cessation upon NAION diagnosis.

Abstract

PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old obese male with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) taking Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) presented with sudden, painless vision-loss from his right eye. DIAGNOSIS: Right eye visual acuity was 6/24. There was Frisen grade IV optic nerve head (ONH) oedema. This was confirmed at imaging with ocular coherence tomography (OCT). The patient was diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. TREATMENT: Semaglutide was ceased. DISCUSSION: GLP-1RAs such as Semaglutide are being increasingly recognised as a potential risk factor for NAION. A case such as this has not yet been reported in Ireland.

Authors

Kelly, A; Hasif, A; McAnena, L; O'Brien, C