Identifying Optical Coherence Tomography Markers for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis and Management

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes visual pathway degeneration.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a key tool for diagnosing and monitoring MS, even without direct optic nerve involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of OCT in detecting retinal changes in MS patients.
• To assess OCT's ability to differentiate between MS and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).

Main Methods:

• A prospective study included 158 eyes from MS, CIS, and healthy control groups.
• Ophthalmologic exams and OCT evaluations (posterior pole analysis and optic nerve head analysis) were performed.

Main Results:

• Significant peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thinning was observed in MS patients compared to controls.
• Retinal changes, including inner plexiform layer (IPL) and inner nuclear layer (INL) thinning, were noted in MS patients, particularly those with optic neuritis (ON).
• OCT posterior pole analysis with a central 2x2 macular grid can differentiate MS from CIS in the absence of ON.

Conclusions:

• OCT is valuable for detecting neurodegeneration in the visual pathway of MS patients.
• Retinal alterations in MS progress from the fovea to the posterior pole.
• OCT can aid in distinguishing MS from CIS, guiding patient management.