Relationship between optical coherence tomography angiography and visual evoked potential in patients with multiple sclerosis

Optical coherence tomography angiography measurements in systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease affecting various organs. Ocular involvement, particularly retinopathy, is common, emphasizing the significance of early detection. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), a non-invasive imaging technique, reveals microvascular changes, aiding SLE diagnosis and monitoring. This study evaluates OCTA's effectiveness in detecting SLE-related retinal alterations. A systemic search was undertaken across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases to identify studies presenting OCTA measurements in SLE patients compared to healthy controls. The meta-analysis, employing either fixed-effects or random-effects models based on heterogeneity levels, was conducted. Additionally, subgroup and sensitivity analyses, meta-regression, and quality assessments were carried out. Thirteen studies of 565 eyes in the SLE group and 560 eyes in the control group were included. The meta-analyses revealed that SLE patients had a significantly lower retinal vessel density in the superficial and deep capillary plexus layers, choriocapillaris flow area, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) circularity index compared to healthy controls, but that there were no significant differences in the FAZ area and perimeter. These findings highlight how OCTA can provide a noninvasive assessment of SLE effects on the retinal microvasculature, potentially presenting a reliable biomarker for more precise detection of SLE and disease activity monitoring.

Optical coherence tomography angiography of the retina and choroid in systemic diseases

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has transformed ocular vascular imaging, revealing microvascular changes linked to various systemic diseases. This review explores its applications in diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. While OCTA provides a valuable window into the body's microvasculature, interpreting the findings can be complex. Additionally, challenges exist due to the relative non-specificity of its findings where changes observed in OCTA might not be unique to a specific disease, variations between OCTA machines, the lack of a standardized normative database for comparison, and potential image artifacts. Despite these limitations, OCTA holds immense potential for the future. The review highlights promising advancements like quantitative analysis of OCTA images, integration of artificial intelligence for faster and more accurate interpretation, and multi-modal imaging combining OCTA with other techniques for a more comprehensive characterization of the ocular vasculature. Furthermore, OCTA's potential future role in personalized medicine, enabling tailored treatment plans based on individual OCTA findings, community screening programs for early disease detection, and longitudinal studies tracking disease progression over time is also discussed. In conclusion, OCTA presents a significant opportunity to improve our understanding and management of systemic diseases. Addressing current limitations and pursuing these exciting future directions can solidify OCTA as an indispensable tool for diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, and potentially guiding treatment decisions across various systemic health conditions.

New insights in the pathogenic mechanism of multiple sclerosis: Is Epstein-Barr virus associated with optic nerve involvement?

INTRODUCTION

There are no reports in the literature studying the possible relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and optic nerve involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of our study was to analyze the association between EBV antibodies titres and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) quantitative parameters.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study. The study included 98 eyes of 49 patients with MS. Years of MS duration, relapse count, history of optic neuritis (ON), and immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to the EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) were recorded from each patient. Also, OCT analysis (including retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness) and OCTA analysis (including perfusion density (PD) and flux index (FI) of the radial peripapillary capillary plexus) were performed in each participant.

RESULTS

No significant associations were observed between anti-EBV antibody levels and OCT or OCTA parameters (p > 0,05). Correlation analysis between OCT and OCTA measurements showed a significant positive correlation between RNFL thickness and GCIPL thickness with peripapillary PD and FI (p < 0,035). Subgroup analysis revealed a significant diminution of RNFL thickness, GCIPL thickness and peripapillary PD and FI (p < 0,05) in the ON group.

CONCLUSION

We were unable to demonstrate a significant association between anti-EBV VCA IgG antibody titres and OCT or OCTA parameters. Nonetheless, further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the possible association of EBV with optic nerve involvement in MS.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography: Revolutionizing Clinical Diagnostics and Treatment in Central Nervous System Disease

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), as a new generation of non-invasive and efficient fundus imaging technology, can provide non-invasive assessment of vascular lesions in the retina and choroid. In terms of anatomy and development, the retina is referred to as an extension of the central nervous system (CNS). CNS diseases are closely related to changes in fundus structure and blood vessels, and direct visualization of fundus structure and blood vessels provides an effective "window" for CNS research. This has important practical significance for identifying the characteristic changes of various CNS diseases on OCTA in the future, and plays a key role in promoting early screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of disease progression in CNS diseases. This article reviews relevant fundus studies by comparing and summarizing the unique advantages and existing limitations of OCTA in various CNS disease patients, in order to demonstrate the clinical significance of OCTA in the diagnosis and treatment of CNS diseases.

The Evolvement of OCT and OCT-A in Identifying Multiple Sclerosis Biomarkers

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been increasing among young people in developing countries over the last years. With the continuous development of new technology, the diagnosis and follow-up of these patients has received new parameters that physicians may use in their practice. This paper reviews the main biomarkers identified through Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A) involved in the development and progression of MS and investigates the role it may have in detecting changes to the central nervous system (CNS).

Optical coherence tomography angiography measurements in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Recent literature on multiple sclerosis (MS) demonstrates the growing implementation of optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A) to discover potential qualitative and quantitative changes in the retina and optic nerve. In this review, we analyze OCT-A studies in patients with MS and examine its utility as a surrogate or precursor to changes in central nervous system tissue.

METHODS

PubMed and EMBASE were systematically searched to identify articles that applied OCT-A to evaluate the retinal microvasculature measurements in patients with MS. Quantitative data synthesis was performed on all measurements which were evaluated in at least two unique studies with the same OCT-A devices, software, and study population compared to controls. A fixed-effects or random-effects model was applied for the meta-analysis based on the heterogeneity level.

RESULTS

The study selection process yielded the inclusion of 18 studies with a total of 1552 evaluated eyes in 673 MS-associated optic neuritis (MSON) eyes, 741 MS without optic neuritis (MSNON eyes), and 138 eyes without specification for the presence of optic neuritis (ON) in addition to 1107 healthy control (HC) eyes. Results indicated that MS cases had significantly decreased whole image superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density when compared to healthy control subjects in the analyses conducted on Optovue and Topcon studies (both P < 0.0001). Likewise, the whole image vessel densities of deep capillary plexus (DCP) and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) were significantly lower in MS cases compared to HC (all P < 0.05). Regarding optic disc area quadrants, MSON eyes had significantly decreased mean RPC vessel density compared to MSNON eyes in all quadrants except for the inferior (all P < 0.05). Results of the analysis of studies that used prototype Axsun machine revealed that MSON and MSNON eyes both had significantly lower ONH flow index compared to HC (both P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis of the studies reporting OCT-A measurements of people with MS confirmed the tendency of MS eyes to exhibit reduced vessel density in the macular and optic disc areas, mainly in SCP, DCP, and RPC vessel densities.

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

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.