Clinical observation on the evolution process of macular ganglion cell complex and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer of neuritis patients

Abstract

Objective: To discuss the dynamic changes and correlation of macular ganglion cell (mGCC) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) of neuritis patients through optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: A retrospective case series study. Eleven eyes from 11 patients who have been diagnosed with neuritis and received regular follow-up during June 2013 through June 2015 were included. The dynamic characteristic changes of mGCC and pRNFL over the course of disease, as well as their correlations between best visual acuity and visual field have been analyzed based on OCT measurements. Results: According to the observation on the 11 eyes of the 11 patients, patients showed symptoms of decreased vision, abnormal visual field, swollen mGCC and pRNFL with normal or increased thickness during the subnormal period. During the advance-separation period (around 3 weeks), the thickness of mGCC decreased resulting from atrophy while pRNFL was still swollen. Druing the late period (usually 6-8 weeks after onset of the disease), both mGCC and pRNFL were getting thinner due to atrophy. Vision acuity and visual field of the patients improved after treatment, however, they were still not comparable with the normal level before the disease. Conclusions: The thickness changes of mGCC and pRNFL differs in neuritis patients over time. OCT can help us in detecting these changes, thus provide a foundation for us to further explore the treatment and anatomical changes of neuritis patients. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 62-68).