Analysis of Choroidal Thickness by Optical Coherence Tomography in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica

Abstract

Purpose : To assess whether there is a change in choroidal thickness in patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromyelitis Optica and Controls, comparing the groups among themselves.

Methods : This was a cross-sectional and case-control study. The selected patients, along with the control group, underwent Optical Coherence Tomography and Enhanced Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography (EDI-OCT) to evaluate the choroid. Data collected underwent statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests, as demonstrated in the results.

Results : The sample consisted of 37 eyes from 19 patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), 17 eyes from 9 with Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), and 18 eyes from 9 in the control group. Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica showed alterations in choroidal thickness (evaluation results: MS: median = 304.0 ± 63.0S D; NMO: median = 327 ±97.5SD; control group: median = 472.0 ± 48.0S D). There was statistical significance in the comparison between the three groups and among the evaluated choroidal areas (p<0.002).

Conclusions : By establishing the possibility of choroidal thickness alteration in patients with these demyelinating diseases, it may be possible to begin elucidating how the disease manifests, its pathophysiology, and potential methods for monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment, depending on the reproducibility of these results and new advances in the research of these diseases.

This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.