Changes in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer and ocular parameters in acute anterior uveitis

Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) can lead to the thickening of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) and induce refractive changes during its active phase.

AAU is a common form of uveitis characterised by inflammation in the anterior chamber. A notable prevalence of optical coherence tomography - defined pRNFL thickening was observed among patients with AAU. The alterations in pRNFL thickness and their associations with other relevant ocular parameters in patients with AAU were investigated.

A retrospective, consecutive case series was conducted at a specialised uveitis referral clinic in Taiwan. This study gathered data on various demographic characteristics and various ocular parameters, namely anterior chamber cell grading, refractive error, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and optical coherence tomography measurements. A comparative analysis of baseline and subsequent follow-up data was conducted. Additionally, this study examined the correlations between alterations in pRNFL thickness and various ocular parameters. Twenty-one patients with AAU (21 affected eyes/21 unaffected eyes) were examined.

Initial measurements revealed pRNFL thickening in 20 patients. Treatment led to significant improvements in best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure recovery, and pRNFL thickening (p < 0.01). The correlation between changes in pRNFL thickness and best-corrected visual acuity was weak (r = 0.20, p = 0.41). By contrast, a significant negative correlation was identified between changes in pRNFL thickness and refractive error alterations (r =  -0.71, p = 0.01).

This study demonstrated that AAU is associated with pRNFL thickening, which in turn is inversely correlated with changes in refractive error alterations throughout the disease course. Monitoring changes in pRNFL thickness can be effective in assessing ocular inflammation status.