Is there a relationship between the ganglion cell complex thickness and macular thickness in patients with multiple sclerosis?

Abstract

Introduction: Optic neuritis (ON) is the most common ocular finding of multiple sclerosis (MS). ON can cause axonal loss and abnormalities in both optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters and visual evoked potentials (VEPs). In this study, the retinal fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex (GCC) and macular thicknesses were measured with OCT and compared between MS cases with and without a clinical history of ON and healthy individuals. In addition, it was examined whether these values were correlated with VEP and clinical findings and whether they could be used as a marker of axonal loss. Method: The study included 49 patients with MS (98 eyes) and 30 healthy controls (60 eyes) aged 18-55 years. Visual acuity and color vision, VEP measurement, and OCT measurement were evaluated. Results and Conclusion: The RNFL, foveal and macular thickness were found to be smaller among the patients with a history of ON than those without this history and the control group. The RNFL, GCC, foveal and macular thicknesses can be interchangeably used to show the relationship between axonal degeneration and optic nerve involvement in the course of MS.