OCT Biomarkers of Vision outcome in Patients with Dominant Optic Atrophy

Abstract

Purpose : To assess the relationship of structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings to visual outcomes in patients with Dominant Optic Atrophy (DOA).

Methods : A total of 33 molecularly confirmed patients affected by DOA (33 eyes) with OPA1 heterozygous mutation were enrolled. OCT volume scans of the macula and optic nerve were detected to measure macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thicknesses. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were computed to assess associations between final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) as dependent variables with OCT metrics.

Results : The mean BCVA was 0.44±0.36 LogMAR and the mean macular GC-IPL thickness was 43.65±12.56µm. In the multivariate analysis, the strongest association with final BCVA was with the supero-internal GC-IPL thickness (p<0.05) and male gender (p<0.05).

Conclusions : We identified OCT biomarkers associated with visual outcomes in patients with DOA. Thinning of the GC-IPL in the supero-internal parafoveal region was associated with worse long-term visual outcomes in these patients. Furthermore, the OCT analysis can be useful as prognostic factor for therapeutical trials.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.