Initial Macular Ganglion Cell Changes During Conversion of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

We investigated the initial macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) changes in a group of patients during the conversion from normal vision to visual loss from Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).

Optical coherence tomography scans from 17 eyes of 10 patients with genetically confirmed LHON obtained within 12 weeks of visual symptom onset were analyzed. The thickness of the GCC was measured in 6 macular sectors: superior nasal (SN), inferior nasal (IN), superior temporal, inferior temporal (IT), superior (SUP), and inferior (INF). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUROC) analyses with DeLong comparison were used to evaluate the predictive reliability of GCC thinning in each sector.

Selective, nasal (perifoveal) GCC thinning was observed in most LHON eyes during the early stages, with the SN and IN sectors showing the highest AUROC values. Thinning in these sectors provided significantly greater predictive value for the presence of LHON than other sectors.

Nasal GCC thinning is a reliable early indicator of the conversion from normal vision to visual loss in LHON as demonstrated in 10 of 17 eyes. This pattern of GCC loss provides insights into the disease mechanism and highlights the utility of OCT analysis for early diagnosis. The nasal GCC loss suggests selective vulnerability of ganglion cells serving the foveal region in LHON. Early identification of nasal GCC changes may facilitate timely intervention as gene therapy and other treatments become increasingly accessible.