Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate macular morphology in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: :
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination was performed in twenty-three patients with MS and three patients with previous unilateral ON as a clinically isolated syndrome. The raw macular OCT data were processed using OCTRIMA software. Weighted mean thickness (WMT) of the total retina and 5 intraretinal layers were obtained. The eyes of MS patients were divided into 2 groups; the first group was composed of 26 ON-affected eyes (AE group), while the remaining 23 eyes had no history of ON (non-affected eyes - NE group). Thickness values were compared using ANOVA with Newman-Keuls post-hoc analysis. ROC curves were constructed to determine which parameter can discriminate best between ON-affected and healthy eyes.
Results: :
The WMT of the macula, RNFL and ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer complex (GCL+IPL) was significantly decreased in the NE group compared to controls (p=0.002, 0.001 and <0.001, respectively) and in the AE group compared to NE group (p<0.001 for each comparison). The largest AUC (1.0) was obtained for the WMT of the ganglion cell complex (comprising the RNFL and GCL+IPL).
Conclusions: :
Thinning of the ganglion cell complex in the inner retina is present in both the ON-affected and non-affected eyes of MS patients. Macular OCT image segmentation might provide a better insight into macular and general pathology of neurodegeneration and could therefore play an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with MS.
Keywords: ganglion cells • neuro-ophthalmology: diagnosis • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)