title: Optic nerve and its arterial-venous vascularization: an ultrasonologic study in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies suggest that alterations in the cerebrospinal venous system may play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) and that chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency correlates with clinical features of MS patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the vascularization of optic nerve (ONr) and measure ONe thickness by color Doppler ultrasonography in MS patients with and without previous optic neuritis (ONe).
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed flow variables in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and central retinal vein and measured the diameter of ONe in 46 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 37 healthy controls (HC). Twenty-two MS patients had previous ONe and 24 MS patients had not. Patients with acute ONe were not included. We examined and compared 63 unaffected and 29 affected eyes of MS patients with 74 control eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding flow variables, we did not find any significant difference between HC, MS affected, and unaffected eyes. Comparing ONr diameters, we found a progressive significant thinning of the ONr from HC to MS patients without and with past ONe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no significant alteration in the arterial-venous vascularization of both affected and unaffected ONr compared with HC. We demonstrated the possibility to detect ONr atrophy in MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Neurology-Stroke Unit, University Hospital, University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Servillo
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maria Sarra
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bignamini
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pizzolato
authors.forename: Marino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zorzon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Optic neuritis; ophthalmic arterial flow; ophthalmic venous flow; optic nerve atrophy