Retinal Periphlebitis May Be a Marker for Subphenotype in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Retinal periphlebitis (RPP) is a long-known entity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and has not been revisited in the context of recent developments in MS pathogenesis and heterogeneity. We present six cases of RPP in three female and three male MS patients. They all have relapsing-remitting MS and did not have or had minor ocular symptoms. It is important to perform a thorough retinal examination in patients with MS, as peripheral and sectorial lesions could be unseen. A better knowledge on the concomitant involvement of retinal veins contributes to the understanding of immunopathology, with potentially distinct autoantigenic targets. RPP might serve as a subphenotype marker that may influence treatment choices in MS. Further research is needed.