The Optical Coherence Tomographic Profile of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

The objective of this study was to describe the changes in the retinal ganglion cell complex (GCC) relative to the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) over time in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) patients. Average RNFL and GCC thickness was measured in seven patients in the early acute (123, 68.4 mu m), late acute (113.5, 57.4 mu m), and chronic (72.7, 50.8 mu m) phases. Patients showed thinning of the GCC with RNFL swelling in the early acute phase. GCC thinning became severe within weeks and persisted. RNFL swelling normalised during the late acute phase with eventual thinning in the chronic phase. GCC changes appear at the commencement of visual loss and in some cases prior to vision loss. These findings define an optical coherence tomography (OCT) profile in LHON.