Optical Coherence Tomography and Optical Coherence Tomography with Angiography in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative, potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system. OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) and OCT-A (Optical Coherence Tomography with Angiography) are imaging techniques for the retina and choroid that are used in the diagnosis and monitoring of ophthalmological conditions. Their use has recently expanded the study of several autoimmune disorders, including MS. Although their application in MS remains unclear, the results seem promising. This review aimed to provide insight into the most recent OCT and OCT-A findings in MS and may function as a reference point for future research. According to the current literature, the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform complex (GC-IPL) are significantly reduced in people with MS and are inversely correlated with disease duration. The use of OCT might help distinguish between MS and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), as the latter presents with more pronounced thinning in both the RNFL and GC-IPL. The OCT-A findings in MS include reduced vessel density in the macula, peripapillary area, or both, and the enlargement of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the setting of optic neuritis. Additionally, OCT-A might be able to detect damage in the very early stages of the disease as well as disease progression in severe cases.

Multi-modal retinal scanning to measure retinal thickness and peripheral blood vessels in multiple sclerosis

“…Changes to vascularity in these areas of the retina may be better measured by OCT angiography (OCT-A), which has in recent years offered researchers the ability to non-invasively visualise the retinal microvasculature. Multiple studies have subsequently reported a reduced vascular density for patients with MS when compared to healthy www.nature.com/scientificreports/ controls in the peripapillary and/or macular regions of the retina [42][43][44] . OCT-A has also shown the potential to visualise pathological changes to the retinal anatomy earlier in the MS disease course than OCT alone 42,45 .…”

“…Multiple studies have subsequently reported a reduced vascular density for patients with MS when compared to healthy www.nature.com/scientificreports/ controls in the peripapillary and/or macular regions of the retina [42][43][44] . OCT-A has also shown the potential to visualise pathological changes to the retinal anatomy earlier in the MS disease course than OCT alone 42,45 .…”

Evaluation of vascular and perfusional changes in the retina and choroid of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome

“…Even before clinical findings and retinopathy develop, OCT-A can be used for the evaluation of retinal microvasculature and as a screening imaging technique to detect early vascular changes as well as disease progression in children with inflammatory diseases with eye involvement. [14][15][16][17][18] Retinal and choroidal involvement have been documented in COVID-19 pediatric patients but there is not enough information about MIS-C in the literature. This study investigated vascular and perfusional changes in the retina and choroid of children with MIS-C using the OCT-A device.…”

“…In recent years, numerous studies demonstrated that OCT‐A has a key place in assessing early microvascular changes in children with eye problems due to inflammatory diseases such as Type 1 DM, Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease, glaucoma, uveitis, multiple sclerosis, and chronic renal diseases. Even before clinical findings and retinopathy develop, OCT‐A can be used for the evaluation of retinal microvasculature and as a screening imaging technique to detect early vascular changes as well as disease progression in children with inflammatory diseases with eye involvement 14–18 …”

Reduction in Retinal Ganglion Cell Layer, Inner Plexiform Layer, and Choroidal Thickness in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…It has been reported that the ganglion cell layer (GCL), the inner plexiform layer (IPL), and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) are related to the overall volume of the brain's grey and white matter [ 8 ]. In recent years, OCT has been widely studied in neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis [ 9 ], Alzheimer's [ 10 ], and Parkinson's disease [ 11 ], and RNFL thinning has been associated with neurodegeneration, disease severity, and low functionality [ 12 ]. In addition, changes in GCL, IPL, RNFL, and choroidal thickness have been investigated in psychiatric disorders [ 7 , 12 ].…”