Assessment of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Fellow Eye in Patients with Unilateral Optic Neuritis

Background: One of the main progressive consequences of optic neuritis is inflammatory axonal loss manifested by Retinal Nerve Fiber layer (RNFL) thinning on Optical Coherence Tomography. We assessed RNFL thickness in the fellow eye in patients with unilateral optic neuritis.

Methods: Twenty nine patients with unilateral optic neuritis after three months of attack, were enrolled in the study and the RNFL thickness were measured by Optical Coherence Tomography in the quadrants of superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal at both involved and fellow eyes.

Results: The mean RNFL thickness was significantly lower in the involved than in fellow eye in all quadrants except for temporal. Significant differences were only in women. Compared to fellow eyes, lower mean RNFL thickness in superior, inferior, and nasal quadrants in involved eyes was found mostly in the ages below 40. RNFL was less thickened in involved than in fellow eyes only in those patients with final diagnosis of isolated optic neuritis not in those with multiple sclerosis. Mean RNFL thickness was significantly lower in involved eyes in all quadrants (except for temporal) only in those who underwent Optical Coherence Tomography 13 to 24 months after optic neuritis.

Conclusion: RNFL thinning occurs in involved eye compared to fellow eye in patients with unilateral optic neuritis. It is observed in women more than men and in those patients younger than 40. The abnormal change in RNFL thickness was also found in those patients underwent Optical Coherence Tomography 13 to 24 months after optic neuritis. The difference in mean RNFL thickness may be specified to inferior quadrant in MS patients.

Author(s):

Ali Rast Manesh, Nafiseh Mohebi, Mehdi Moghaddasi

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