Document Detail


Primary retinal pathology in multiple sclerosis as detected by optical coherence tomography.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21252110     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Optical coherence tomography studies in multiple sclerosis have primarily focused on evaluation of the retinal nerve fibre layer. The aetiology of retinal changes in multiple sclerosis is thought to be secondary to optic nerve demyelination. The objective of this study was to use optical coherence tomography to determine if a subset of patients with multiple sclerosis exhibit primary retinal neuronopathy, in the absence of retrograde degeneration of the retinal nerve fibre layer and to ascertain if such patients may have any distinguishing clinical characteristics. We identified 50 patients with multiple sclerosis with predominantly macular thinning (normal retinal nerve fibre-layer thickness with average macular thickness < 5th percentile), a previously undescribed optical coherence tomography defined phenotype in multiple sclerosis, and compared them with 48 patients with multiple sclerosis with normal optical coherence tomography findings, 48 patients with multiple sclerosis with abnormal optical coherence tomography findings (typical for multiple sclerosis) and 86 healthy controls. Utilizing a novel retinal segmentation protocol, we found that those with predominant macular thinning had significant thinning of both the inner and outer nuclear layers, when compared with other patients with multiple sclerosis (P < 0.001 for both), with relative sparing of the ganglion cell layer. Inner and outer nuclear layer thicknesses in patients with non-macular thinning predominant multiple sclerosis were not different from healthy controls. Segmentation analyses thereby demonstrated extensive deeper disruption of retinal architecture in this subtype than may be expected due to retrograde degeneration from either typical clinical or sub-clinical optic neuropathy. Functional corroboration of retinal dysfunction was provided through multi-focal electroretinography in a subset of such patients. These findings support the possibility of primary retinal pathology in a subset of patients with multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis-severity scores were also significantly increased in patients with the macular thinning predominant phenotype, compared with those without this phenotype (n = 96, P=0.006). We have identified a unique subset of patients with multiple sclerosis in whom there appears to be disproportionate thinning of the inner and outer nuclear layers, which may be occurring as a primary process independent of optic nerve pathology. In vivo analyses of retinal layers in multiple sclerosis have not been previously performed, and structural demonstration of pathology in the deeper retinal layers, such as the outer nuclear layer, has not been previously described in multiple sclerosis. Patients with inner and outer nuclear layer pathology have more rapid disability progression and thus retinal neuronal pathology may be a harbinger of a more aggressive form of multiple sclerosis.
Authors:
Shiv Saidha; Stephanie B Syc; Mohamed A Ibrahim; Christopher Eckstein; Christina V Warner; Sheena K Farrell; Jonathan D Oakley; Mary K Durbin; Scott A Meyer; Laura J Balcer; Elliot M Frohman; Jason M Rosenzweig; Scott D Newsome; John N Ratchford; Quan D Nguyen; Peter A Calabresi
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2011-01-20
Journal Detail:
Title:  Brain : a journal of neurology     Volume:  134     ISSN:  1460-2156     ISO Abbreviation:  Brain     Publication Date:  2011 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-01-31     Completed Date:  2011-04-11     Revised Date:  2011-12-20    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0372537     Medline TA:  Brain     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  518-33     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. calabresi@jhmi.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Aged
Electroretinography / methods
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Biological
Multiple Sclerosis / complications,  diagnosis,  pathology*,  physiopathology
Optic Nerve / pathology,  physiopathology
Retina / pathology*,  physiopathology
Retinal Diseases / complications,  pathology*
Retrograde Degeneration / pathology,  physiopathology
Severity of Illness Index
Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*
Vision, Ocular / physiology
Comments/Corrections
Comment In:
Brain. 2011 Nov;134(Pt 11):e193; author reply e194   [PMID:  21596763 ]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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