Evaluation of Inflammation in the Peripheral Multiple Sclerosis Retina Using Ultra-Widefield Optical Coherence Tomography: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Reports of fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) in active multiple sclerosis (MS) have shown peripheral perivenous sheathing. We sought to assess the feasibility of ultra-widefield (UWF) FFA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in assessing the peripheral retina in MS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants with MS and healthy controls underwent bilateral UWF fundus photography and FFA. Swept -source OCTs were captured centrally, peripherally, and to delineate any abnormalities visualized. RESULTS: We recruited five people with relapsing remitting MS, with a mean age of 36.9 (+/- 9.9), mean disease duration of 11 years (+/- 6.3), and a median expanded disability status score of 0.75 (0 to 2.5). In all MS participants, the disease was not active clinically or radiologically. Using UWF-FFA and OCT, we did not detect clear evidence of peripheral retinal abnormalities, which is consistent with the participants having inactive MS. CONCLUSION: A pilot study using UWF-FFA and peripheral OCT to examine the retina in MS suggests that it may be useful to perform a larger prospective longitudinal study to establish its potential as a monitor of disease activity.