We report a vessel density reduction in retina of MS patients. We highlight the clinical correlation between vessel density and EDSS, suggesting that angio-OCT could be a good marker of disease and of disability in MS.

Background: To evaluate retinal vessel density (VD) in macular and in peripapillary regions in patients with recent onset of multiple sclerosis, at initial demyelinating event (IDE) and in matched relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients.Methods: We evaluated VD in superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, choriocapillaris and radial peripapillary capillary plexus in IDE, RRMS patients and in matched healthy controls (HCs) through Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A). Clinical history, including history of optic neuritis, Expanded Disability Status scale and disease duration of patients were collected.Results: Thirty patients (20 with IDE and 10 with RRMS) and 15 HCs were enrolled. IDE patients showed a lower VD in radial peripapillary capillary plexus compared with controls (coeff. β = −3.578; p = 0.002). RRMS patients displayed a lower VD in both superficial capillary plexus and radial peripapillary capillary plexus compared with HCs (coeff. β = −4.955; p = 0.002, and coeff. β = −7.446; p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, RRMS patients showed a decreased VD in radial peripapillary capillary plexus compared with IDE patients (coeff. β = −3.868; p = 0.003).Conclusions: Peripapillary region vessel density reduction, revealed through OCT-A, might be considered as an early event in MS, and might be relevant as a biomarker of disease pathology.

AimTo describe the vascular features of choroidal tumors using enhanced depth imaging (EDI), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT-angiography.MethodsIn this prospective study, we evaluated 116 Caucasian patients with choroidal tumors (60 eyes with choroidal nevi, 40 with choroidal melanoma, 6 with choroidal hemangioma, 2 with optic disc melanocytoma, 6 with choroidal osteoma, and 2 with retinal metastases). Patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including bulbar echography, EDI-OCT, OCT-angiography, and multicolor imaging. Sixteen patients also underwent fluorescein and indocyanine angiography.ResultsThe left eye was more involved than the right eye. The mean tumor thickness was 1.23±0.17 mm in the 60 eyes with choroidal nevi; 2.75±0.83 mm in the 40 eyes with choroidal melanoma; 3.28±0.78 mm in the 6 eyes with retinal angioma; 2.02±0.001 mm in the 2 eyes with optic disc melanocytoma; 2.40±0.31 mm in the 6 eyes with choroidal osteoma; and last, 3.49±0.001 mm in the 2 eyes with retinal metastases. OCT-angiography showed: (i) a lack of blood flow in the outer retinal layer (ORL) and a normal choroid capillary layer in choroidal nevi and optic disc melanocytomas; (ii) a lack of blood flow in the ORL of choroidal metastases; and (iii) a dense irregular vascular network in the ORL and choroid capillary layers of choroidal melanomas, choroidal hemangiomas, and choroidal osteomas.ConclusionsOCT-angiography is a noninvasive reliable method with which to evaluate the vascularization of small choroidal tumors and may improve the diagnosis of these tumors.

Measurement of the optic nerve diameter by echographic technique has been performed in 40 patients with intracranial hypertension syndromes of various origin. In all the cases examined the diameter was always increased. Postoperative checks revealed a decrease of the nerve thickness until it reached the normal values. The changes in the optic nerve diameter reflect the variations of the intracranial pressure and they appear earlier than any changes in the fundus oculi. This simple and non-invasive echographic technique is very useful in following patients with an intracranial hypertension syndrome.