Optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography in multiple sclerosis

Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become a sensitive tool for evaluating retinal and optic nerve diseases. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel technique that can assess the density of retinal vascular networks. Vascular changes caused by MS play a chief role in the development and progression of the MS lesions giving the idea and goal of this study which aimed to assess vascular anomalies in MS using OCT and OCT-A, determine their relationship to clinical characteristics, and determine if vasculopathy may play a role in MS causation. This research also looked at whether the retinal vasculature can be used as a biomarker for neurodegeneration and disease progression. A total of 30 MS patients with and without history of optic neuritis (ON), as well as 10 healthy volunteers, were included in the study. OCT-A and spectral domain. (SD-OCT) were performed on all of them. The data included clinical history, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), illness duration, visual function assessment, and investigations. Results: When comparing MS patients to controls, OCT-A revealed a drop in the arterial density in the eyes of MS patients. When compared to control eyes, all SD-OCT and OCT-A parameters indicated a statistically significant drop in MS eyes (with and without ON). Results showed a direct association (p = 0.001) between vascular density metrics and SD-OCT parameters (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: Results showed a reduction in retinal vascular density (VD) in MS patients. The clinical link between VD and SD-OCT characteristics is highlighted, implying that OCT-A may be a useful marker of illness and impairment in MS. © 2023, Egyptian Society of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery.