A Comparison of Retinal Thickness Changes According to Initial Optic Disc Edema in Optic Neuritis Patients

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#To compare early changes in the macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thicknesses according to the severity of initial optic disc edema in optic neuritis patients using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 18 eyes of patients diagnosed with naïve optic neuritis along with optic disc edema who underwent SS-OCT. The central thickness of the optic nerve head and the peripapillary retinal thickness were measured at the initial visit. To quantitate the degree of initial optic disc edema, we calculated the difference of each measurement between the affected eye and the normal fellow eye. The mRNFL and mGCIPL thicknesses were measured at the initial visit and at the 1 month follow-up. The association between changes in mRNFL and mGCIPL thicknesses at the 1 month follow-up and the severity of initial optic disc edema were evaluated. @*Results@#In the affected eye, the mGCIPL thickness was reduced at 1 month. The central thickness of the optic nerve head at the initial visit correlated with the reduction in the temporal mGCIPL at 1 month (R = 0.648, p = 0.045). Furthermore, thicker nasal peripapillary retinal thickness at the initial visit correlated with a reduction in nasal (R = 0.659, p = 0.038) and temporal (R = 0.774, p = 0.009) mGCIPL at 1 month. Thicker temporal peripapillary retinal thickness at the initial visit correlated with reduction in the nasal (R = 0.646, p = 0.044) and temporal (R = 0.760, p = 0.011) mGCIPL at 1 month. @*Conclusions@#In optic neuritis patients with optic disc edema, severe optic disc edema, evaluated by peripapillary retinal thickness and central thickness of the optic nerve at the initial visit was associated with a reduced temporal mGCIPL thickness at 1 month. This study suggested that initially severe optic disc edema in optic neuritis patients can predict a rapid decline in the mGCIPL.