Uniprot Description An ocular disease due to ischemic injury to the optic nerve. It usually affects the optic disk and leads to visual loss and optic disk swelling of a pallid nature. Visual loss is usually sudden, or over a few days at most and is usually permanent, with some recovery possibly occurring within the first weeks or months. Patients with small disks having smaller or non-existent cups have an anatomical predisposition for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. As an ischemic episode evolves, the swelling compromises circulation, with a spiral of ischemia resulting in further neuronal damage.