Clinical efficacy of optical coherence tomography in sellar mass lesions: a meta-analysis

Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the eyes has been studied to detect and monitor sellar masses, there is no recommendation for selecting the most effective measurement of OCT in clinical practice. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of OCT in sellar mass lesions.

We conducted a literature search in PubMed and EMBASE through April 26, 2020. The primary outcomes were the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and the macular ganglion cell complex (mGCC). The secondary outcomes included the thickness of the macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) and macular thickness. Random-effects models were used in all meta-analyses. Additionally, we conducted meta-regressions and subgroup analyses.

We included 22 studies, involving 1347 eyes of patients and 1198 eyes of controls. When compared with the control group, the reductions in pRNFL, mGCC and macular thickness in the patient group were significantly different, whereas significant thinning of the mGCIPL was restricted to the nasal hemiretina. Furthermore, we found that before visual field (VF) defects occurred, significant thinning of the pRNFL and mGCC thickness could be detected by OCT. The change in OCT parameters also showed different patterns in different types of pituitary adenomas.

Sellar mass lesions were associated with the changes in OCT measurements. The characteristic patterns of the OCT parameters may refine the diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, the alterations of OCT metrics before VF defects indicate the efficacy of OCT in early detection. Different types of pituitary adenomas may vary in OCT measurements, and their specific features warrant further research efforts.