Optical Coherence Tomography Identifies Visual Pathway Involvement Earlier than Visual Function Tests in Children...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuro-oncology
• Medical imaging

Background:

• Optic pathway glioma (OPG) is a significant cause of vision loss in children.
• Early detection of vision-threatening changes is crucial for managing OPG.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identifies tumor location, but its correlation with visual function needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in assessing children with OPG at high risk of vision loss.
• To examine the relationship between ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness and visual function (visual acuity and visual field).
• To correlate OCT findings with tumor site determined by MRI.

Main Methods:

• Ophthalmic examinations were performed on children under 18 with OPG.
• Tests included visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF) perimetry, and OCT imaging.
• Data from 51 patients (77 eyes with OPG, 25 eyes without) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations were found between GC-IPL thickness, VF, and VA (p < 0.001).
• GC-IPL pattern loss corresponded with VF defects in 95% of cases.
• GC-IPL findings aligned with MRI results in 92% of cases.

Conclusions:

• GC-IPL measurements using OCT can serve as an early marker for vision-threatening changes in OPG.
• OCT provides a valuable link between MRI findings and actual visual function.
• GC-IPL thinning and inter-eye topographic differences are strong predictors of OPG-related vision loss.