Eyes are mirror of the brain: comparison of multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls using OCT.

To evaluate the thickness of choroid and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with and without optic neuritis using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). In this cross-sectional study, both eyes of 52 MS patients [ = 104 eyes; 62 eyes of MS patients without optic neuritis (MS-NON) and 42 eyes of MS patients with optic neuritis (MS-ON)] and only one eye of 36 healthy control subjects ( = 36 eyes) were evaluated. Complete ophthalmologic examination and EDI-OCT scanning were completed for all participants. Choroidal thickness measurements were executed at three different points. Choroidal thickness measurements were similar between MS patients and healthy control subjects. However, the mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was increased significantly in MS-ON group (399.13 ± 82.91 μm) compared to MS-NON group (342.71 ± 82.46 μm;  = 0.004). Mean RNFL thickness was significantly reduced in MS patients (90.42 ± 13.31 μm) compared to healthy controls (101.18 ± 10.75 μm;  < 0.001). Moreover, temporal RNFL thickness was significantly thinner in MS-ON group (54 ± 14.50 μm) than MS-NON group (62.15 ± 15.88 μm;  = 0.01). In MS patients, temporal RNFL thickness was correlated with both Expanded Disability Status Score ( = 0.383;  < 0.001) and longer disease duration (=-0.202;  = 0.04). The results of the present study suggest that RNFL thickness can be used as an important parameter while following up with MS patients. However, more studies using EDI-OCT are required with larger MS patient groups and automated method.