Eyes are mirror of the brain: comparison of multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls using OCT

Objective: To evaluate the thickness of choroid and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with and without optic neuritis using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).Methods: In this cross-sectional study, both eyes of 52MS patients [n=104 eyes; 62 eyes of MS patients without optic neuritis (MS-NON) and 42 eyes of MS patients with optic neuritis (MS-ON)] and only one eye of 36 healthy control subjects (n=36 eyes) were evaluated. Complete ophthalmologic examination and EDI-OCT scanning were completed for all participants. Choroidal thickness measurements were executed at three different points.Results: Choroidal thickness measurements were similar between MS patients and healthy control subjects. However, the mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was increased significantly in MS-ON group (399.1382.91 mu m) compared to MS-NON group (342.71 +/- 82.46 mu m; p=0.004). Mean RNFL thickness was significantly reduced in MS patients (90.42 +/- 13.31 mu m) compared to healthy controls (101.18 +/- 10.75 mu m; p<0.001). Moreover, temporal RNFL thickness was significantly thinner in MS-ON group (54 +/- 14.50 mu m) than MS-NON group (62.15 +/- 15.88 mu m; p=0.01). In MS patients, temporal RNFL thickness was correlated with both Expanded Disability Status Score (r=0.383; p<0.001) and longer disease duration (r=-0.202; p=0.04).Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that RNFL thickness can be used as an important parameter while following up with MS patients. However, more studies using EDI-OCT are required with larger MS patient groups and automated method.