title: Optical coherence tomography in clinically isolated syndrome: no evidence of subclinical retinal axonal loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Optical coherence tomography has emerged as a new tool for quantifying axonal loss in multiple sclerosis (MS). A reduction in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness is correlated with Expanded Disability Status Scale score and brain atrophy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate RNFL and macular volume measurements using optical coherence tomography in the clinically isolated syndrome population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case series. Settings Neurologic clinics at the university hospitals of Lille and Strasbourg (France).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six consecutive patients with clinically isolated syndrome (18 with optic neuritis and 38 without optic neuritis) and 32 control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Macular volume and RNFL thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) overall RNFL thickness (98.98 [10.26] microm) and macular volume (6.86 [0.32] microm(3)) in the clinically isolated syndrome population were not significantly different compared with the controls (98.71 [9.08] mum and 6.92 [0.38] microm(3), respectively). No link was noted between atrophy of the RNFL or macula and conversion to MS at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Optical coherence tomography does not reveal retinal axonal loss at the earliest clinical stage of MS and does not predict conversion to MS at 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France. o-outteryck@chru-lille.fr
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Outteryck
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zephir
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Defoort
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouyon
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debruyne
authors.forename: Ikram
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bouacha
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferriby
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacour
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labalette
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Seze
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vermersch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence