AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates corneal nerve fiber damage in patients with optic neuritis (ON), a condition that can indicate more severe diseases like neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) or multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Researchers used corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM) to analyze nerve fiber counts in 48 ON patients categorized by specific antibodies and compared them to 35 healthy controls.
  • Results showed that patients with ON had significant nerve fiber loss, particularly in the affected eye, with reductions linked to poorer visual acuity, suggesting that ON not only impacts the central nervous system but also the peripheral nerves.

Article Abstract

Purpose: Optic neuritis (ON), a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, is often a precursor manifestation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) or multiple sclerosis (MS). Reduced corneal nerve fiber counts have been found in patients with NMOSD or MS. This study aimed to observe and compare the corneal subbasal nerve plexus in patients with three types of ON and controls without ON using corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Methods: Data were analyzed for 77 eyes of 48 patients with ON, grouped according to seropositivity for anti-aquaporin-4 IgG, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody, or no seropositivity, and 35 healthy eyes in the control group. Corneal parameters were quantified based on IVCM images. Visual function indicators were recorded, following which their correlations with IVCM parameters were analyzed.

Results: Significant differences in IVCM parameters were detected among the different groups. Reductions in corneal nerve fiber counts were negatively correlated with visual acuity. Corneal nerve fibers were significantly more damaged in the affected eye than in the unaffected eye in patients with ON.

Conclusion: IVCM revealed corneal nerve fiber loss of varying degrees, depending on the type of ON. This indicates that, although ON primarily affects the central nervous system, peripheral nerves, such as the trigeminal nerve, which innervates the corneal subbasal nerve plexus may also be damaged in affected patients.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02713683.2023.2297347DOI Listing

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