Neurological disease activity in multiple sclerosis patients with periphlebitis retinae

Periphlebitis retinae (PR) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is seen as cuffs around veins in the otherwise normal retinae. The frequency of PR in MS varies considerably between different series, approximately from 5 to 25%. The aim of the present study was to investigate if PR, when present, is correlated to neurological disease activity. No similar study has been performed to the author's knowledge. The prevalence of PR in a hospital material of 135 MS patients was 15%, compared to the frequency of 5% found in 168 MS patients examined at a Rehabilitation Center. Thus a three times higher frequency was found in the hospital material which comprised more patients with active disease. The status of neurological disease activity was assessed in 27 patients at the occurrence of PR. One patient only had stationary disease. The frequency of malignant MS in the 27 PR patients was 26% versus 9%. The present study suggests a correlation between neurological disease activity and PR in MS patients.