Clinical Outcome Measures Poster Presentation

P0031 - Asymptomatic anterior optic pathway involvement in early multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndromes (ID 1838)

Speakers
  • M. Pisa
Authors
  • T. Croese
  • G. Dalla Costa
  • S. Guerrieri
  • S. Huang
  • L. Fabbella
  • A. Finardi
  • B. Colombo
  • F. Sangalli
  • L. Moiola
  • V. Martinelli
  • G. Comi
  • R. Furlan
  • L. Leocani
Presentation Number
P0031
Presentation Topic
Clinical Outcome Measures

Abstract

Background

Optical coherence tomography is gaining increasing relevance in the assessment of people with multiple sclerosis. Converging evidence point to the view that neuro-retinal changes, in eyes without acute optic neuritis, reflect inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes taking place throughout the CNS.

Objectives

The present study aims at exploring the usefulness of optical coherence tomography as a marker of inflammation and disease burden in the earliest phases of the disease.

Methods

a cohort of 150 consecutive patients underwent clinical, neurophysiological and brain MRI assessment as well as lumbar puncture as part of their diagnostic workup for a neurological episode suggestive of inflammatory CNS disorder. For the present study, patients also received a visual pathway assessment - including OCT, VEP, visual acuity testing –, measurement of CSF inflammatory markers – a set of 17 cytokines-chemokines and, count of extracellular vesicles of myeloid origin –, and dosage of serum neurofilaments.

Results

19.2% of clinically isolated syndromes had abnormal visual evoked potentials in eyes without optic neuritis. Similarly, optical coherence tomography identified neuro-retinal thinning in 17.8% of patients without prior visual symptoms. The presence of asymptomatic involvement of the anterior optic pathway tested with either techniques was associated with a greater disease burden.

A thinner ganglion cell layer in eyes without prior optic neuritis or instrumental evidences of it was correlated with higher EDSS, lower low contrast visual acuity, longer disease duration, higher brain lesion load, presence of gadolinium enhancing lesions, more severe abnormalities along motor and somatosensory evoked potentials, and higher frequency of CSF-specific oligoclonal bands.

We also found that inner nuclear layer thickens in a post-acute (1.1 – 3.7 months) phase after a relapse, particularly in those who did not receive steroid treatment. Likewise, a longitudinal analysis on 65 patients, showed that this swelling is transient and returns to normal values after one year of follow-up. Notwithstanding, the clinical, MRI, serological and CSF markers of disease activity considered in the study were strictly associated with one-another but none of them was associated with inner nuclear layer volume.

Conclusions

The present findings suggest that instrumental evidence of asymptomatic optic nerve involvement is associated with a greater disease burden in early MS and clinically isolated syndrome. Neuro-retinal changes are present since the earliest phases of the disease and yield important information regarding the neurodegenerative and inflammatory processes occurring in the CNS.

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