title: Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography in Moroccan patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by focal inflammatory infiltrates, demyelinating lesions and axonal injury. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in Moroccan patients with MS and to assess the relationship between RNFL thickness and disease duration, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, visual acuity and automated visual field indices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with definite MS and thirty-one disease-free controls were enrolled in the study. After neurologic consultation, ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity, automated visual field testing and OCT were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences between both groups were observed in OCT parameters (total, temporal and macular ganglion cell layer) with lower thickness in the MS group. In patients without a history of optic neuritis, there were statistically significant inverse correlations between total RNFL thickness and disease duration, neurologic disability evaluated by the EDSS, logMAR visual acuity and automated visual field indices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OCT seems to be a reproducible test to detect axonal loss of ganglion cells in MS. Further and larger longitudinal prospective studies would be valuable to assess the evolution over time of the RNFL measurements in Moroccan MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco. Electronic address: ghizlanesoufi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soufi
authors.affiliation: Service de neurologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: AitBenhaddou
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hajji
authors.affiliation: Service de neurologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tazrout
authors.affiliation: Service de neurologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benomar
authors.affiliation: Faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, BP 724, Hay Al Quods, 60000 Oujda, Morocco.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soufi
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boulanouar
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biostatistique, de recherche clinique et d'épidémiologie, faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, université Mohamed V, Agdal avenue S. Al Oumam Al Mouttahida - ex N. Uni, BP 554, 10000 Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abouqal
authors.affiliation: Service de neurologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yahyaoui
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie B, hôpital des spécialités, Rabat-Institut, université Mohammed V Souissi, centre hospitalier Ibn-Sina, rue Lamfadel-Cherkaoui, BP 6527, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berraho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D012183:Retrograde Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Couche des fibres nerveuses rétiniennes; Multiple sclerosis; Névrite optique; Optic neuritis; Optical coherence tomography; Retinal nerve fiber layer; Sclérose en plaques; Tomographie par cohérence optique