Retinal vascular density in multiple sclerosis: a 1-year follow-up

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Vascular pathology is a recognized risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Reduced vascular density (VD) in the retina is observed in MS patients using optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography.
• Understanding VD changes over time may offer insights into MS progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate changes in retinal vascular density (VD) over one year in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
• To investigate the correlation between VD variations and clinical outcomes, including disability status.

Main Methods:

• A 1-year prospective study involving 50 MS patients.
• Spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography were performed at baseline and follow-up.
• Mixed-effect linear regression models analyzed VD changes and their association with clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Parafoveal vascular density (VD) showed a statistically significant increase over the study period (P = 0.035).
• A reduction in parafoveal VD was associated with an increase in the Expanded Disability Status Scale score (P = 0.013).

Conclusions:

• Retinal vascular density (VD) can improve over time in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, especially those with stable disease.
• VD shows potential as a novel biomarker for MS, but further research is needed.
• Future studies should include longer follow-up, early MS cases, and combination with brain atrophy markers.