Optical coherence tomography angiography in eyes with good visual acuity recovery after treatment for optic neuritis

Objective
To evaluate the retinal perfusion using optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography in eyes with good visual acuity recovery after treatment for optic neuritis (ON).
Methods
Seven eyes of seven patients with good visual acuity recovery after treatment for monocular ON and seven eyes of each fellow eye used as controls were studied. Retinal perfusion around the disc and at the macula was evaluated using OCT angiography. The retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was measured around the disc. The ganglion cell layer complex thickness or the ganglion cell layer plus the inner plexiform layer thickness were measured at the macula.
Results
The retinal perfusions in all eyes with ON decreased around the disc and at the macula compared with those of the fellow eyes, as shown by OCT angiography (disc, P = 0.003; macula, P = 0.001). The retinal thicknesses in all eyes with ON also decreased around the disc and at the macula compared with those of the fellow eyes (disc, P < 0.001; macula, P = 0.003).
Conclusions
Optic neuritis may cause not only retinal structural damage but also decreased retinal perfusion, even after the visual acuity recovered well after treatment.

研究目的：利用光学相干断层扫描（optical coherence tomography, OCT）血管成像评估视神经炎（optic neuritis, ON）治疗后视力恢复良好的患眼视网膜灌注情况。
研究方法：本研究纳入7名单眼视神经炎治疗后视力恢复良好的患者，共7只患眼，另取其对侧健眼共7只作为对照。采用OCT血管成像评估视盘周围及黄斑区视网膜灌注情况；于视盘周围测量视网膜神经纤维层厚度；于黄斑区测量神经节细胞层复合体厚度，或神经节细胞层与内丛状层厚度之和。
研究结果：OCT血管成像结果显示，与对侧健眼相比，所有视神经炎患眼的视盘周围及黄斑区视网膜灌注均降低（视盘：P=0.003；黄斑：P=0.001）；同时，患眼视盘周围及黄斑区视网膜厚度亦较对侧健眼降低（视盘：P<0.001；黄斑：P=0.003）。
研究结论：即便视神经炎患者经治疗后视力恢复良好，该病仍可能同时造成视网膜结构损伤与视网膜灌注水平下降。