OCT and OCT-A biomarkers in multiple sclerosis - review

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Biomarker Research

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with retinal neuronal and vascular alterations.
• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A) are advanced imaging techniques for visualizing retinal structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current OCT and OCT-A findings in MS patients.
• To evaluate the potential of OCT/OCT-A parameters as biomarkers for MS screening, diagnosis, and monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search on PubMed (2014-present) using keywords related to MS and OCT/OCT-A.
• Inclusion of relevant studies found through reference lists.

Main Results:

• MS patients exhibited significantly reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness compared to controls.
• RNFL and GCL reductions correlated with clinical variables like visual function, disability, and MRI findings.
• Superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density (VD) was identified as the most effective OCT-A parameter for MS detection.
• Reduced retinal VD correlated with disability in MS patients.

Conclusions:

• OCT and OCT-A parameters show promise as retinal biomarkers for MS screening, early diagnosis, and disease progression monitoring.
• These imaging techniques could aid in developing future therapies to manage MS progression.