[The three-year follow-up study of retinal changes in patients with multiple sclerosis]

To evaluate the ganglion cell complex (GCC) changes in projection to the state of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

A total of 216 participants (370 eyes) were studied. Patients were divided into three groups: 1-st - 87 MS patients (121 eyes) with a history of optic neuritis (ON); 2-nd - 95 MS patients (186 eyes) without a history of ON; 3-rd - disease-free control 34 volunteers (63 eyes). Thirty-two MS patients (61 eyes) from the cross-sectional cohort were included for longitudinal analysis, follow-up period was 30 (9.5-36) months. Sixteen patients (21 eyes) had a history of optic neuritis. The study included anamnesis, refracted visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) performed with the use of RTVue-100 ОСТ system.

RNFL and GCC thickness was significantly decreased both in MS+ON and MS-ON groups compared to controls. No difference in the annual change of RNFL thickness and GCC parameters between patients with ON and patients who did not have any visual impairment in the anamnesis was found. Changes of GCC were detected only in patients with secondary progressive MS. The study of GCC and RNFL thickness can be used to describe and characterize the level of axonal damage in MS.