Abstract
Purpose :
In this retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort-study characteristics of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) were compared to healthy controls.
It has been stated before that retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) is reduced in patients with MS compared to healthy persons. The purpose of this analysis was, to test whether the same was true for Bruch Membranes Opening-Minimum Rim Width (MRW) in patients with RR-MS with and without optic neuritis (ON) compared to controls.
Methods :
Prospective study with 81 patients (age from 18 to 71, median 39 years) with RR-MS of whom 34 (37 eyes) had a history of ON and 55 healthy controls (age 18-64, median 33 years). Full neurological and ophthalmological examination comprised among others MRI to verify diagnosis and stage of disease, visual acuity (low and high contrast), RNFLT and MRW measurements on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT, Spectralis™) and perimetry.
Our hypothesis stated that MRW would not be equal in patients with MS and in those without. This was tested using Mann-Whitney U-Test for non-parametric data. Data was adjusted for the presence of ON in the past. Eyes with ON, their fellow eyes and eyes without ON in patients were tested against healthy controls. The same was done for RNFLT measurements.
Statistical significance was adjusted for multivariate testing using Bonferroni method to 0,007.
Results :
MRW in the temporal (T) and temporal superior (TS) sectors was significantly reduced (p=0,0056 and p=0,0001) in RR-MS patients without ON compared to healthy controls. .
In eyes previously affected by ON (n=37) global (G; p=0,0032), T (p=0,0062),TS (p=0,001), nasal superior (NS; p=0,0017)and temporal inferior (TI;p=0,0039) sectors showed a significant reduction.
RNFLT did not show a significant difference in any sector regardless of history of ON.
Conclusions :
This study showed a statistically significant reduction in MRW in patients with RR-MS with history of ON (G,T,TS,NS,TI) as well as without history of ON (T,TS) compared to healthy controls. This difference could not be shown for RNFLT. This may indicate better sensitivity in detecting neuroretinal changes related to RR-MS using MRW compared to RNFLT.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.