Long-term structural retinal changes in patients with optic neuritis related to multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Optic neuritis (ON) is a common early symptom of MS, often leading to visual impairment.
• Long-term outcomes of ON in MS patients require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term structural and functional visual outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• To compare outcomes between MS patients with and without a history of optic neuritis (ON).

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 82 MS patients diagnosed between 2000-2006.
• Self-reported history of ON was collected.
• Functional vision (visual acuity, color vision) and structural markers (spectral domain optical coherence tomography for retinal nerve fiber layer thickness) were evaluated.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in visual acuity or color vision was found between patients with and without ON history.
• MS patients with ON history showed reduced inferior and temporal retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness.
• Lower RNFL thickness was associated with an increased risk of ON in logistic regression models.

Conclusions:

• Despite no functional vision loss, structural neurodegeneration is evident in the eyes of long-term MS patients with a history of ON.
• Retinal nerve fiber layer thinning serves as a measurable indicator of past ON in MS patients.
• These findings underscore the utility of OCT in detecting subclinical neurodegeneration in MS.