Intracranial Arterial Compression of the Anterior Visual Pathway

Intracranial blood vessels can compress adjacent cranial nerves, leading to disorders such as trigeminal and glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and hemifacial spasm. However, the occurrence of compressive damage by intracranial arteries of the Anterior Visual Pathway (AVP), consisting of the optic nerves, chiasm or optic tracts, is poorly recognized. This study aimed to determine whether vascular compression of the AVP could contribute to visual field defects, pupillary abnormalities affecting the AVP, and optic nerve head changes in patients without an identified cause of their visual dysfunction.