Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber and ganglion cell layers in patients with multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia

Abstract

AbstractPurposeTo assess the differences in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cells (GCL) between patients with multiple sclerosis versus fibromyalgia. Likewise, to evaluate the ability of the Posterior Pole protocol from Spectralis Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to detect clusters with differences between these groups.MethodsWe analyzed 100 eyes of healthy subjects (CS), 100 eyes of patients with relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis (RR‐MS) and 55 eyes of patients with fibromyalgia (FB). The thickness of the RNFL and the GCL between these groups were evaluated in the 64 cells of the macular grid analyzed by the Posterior Pole protocol and later the thickness maps and cluster detection were reproduced thanks to the matrix analysis using Matlab (Mathworks,USA). Additionally, the RR‐MS group was compared with the different fibromyalgia phenotypes (atypical, biological and depressive).ResultsBoth pathologies present a very similar significant thinning (p < 0.05) of both layers compared to healthy subjects. Compared with healthy controls, significant differences were found for the RNFL in the papillomacular bundle area and for the GCL in the macular area in RR‐MS group and fibromyalgia patients. Additionally, no significant differences were observed between patients with RR‐MS and those with fibromyalgia.ConclusionsFor the last years, the GCL has been postulated as a potential biomarker of neurodegenerative processes. Both RR‐MS and fibromyalgia present a similar thinning of the RNFL and GCL, although it is greater in patients with RR‐MS. Observed alterations are more significant in the GCL, thus suggesting that fibromyalgia might be a neurodegenerative process, with results similar to those observed in other well studied degenerative processes.