title: A study of retinal parameters measured by optical coherence tomography in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the difference of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and macular fovea thickness/volume between multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy normal individuals using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and assess its association with visual field parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty consecutive MS patients and 28 healthy controls were recruited in this prospective study. Comprehensive standardized ophthalmic examinations included visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, intraocular pressure, gonioscopy, visual field, and RNFL thickness and macular fovea thickness/volume detection using Humphrey OCT. Mean values for the thickness of the peripapillary RNFL and macular volume were calculated. Associations between visual field parameters and RNFL thickness/macular volume were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RNFL thicknesses in each quadrant, the average macular thickness, and the average macular volume in MS patients were all less than those in healthy controls, with statistically significant differences. The RNFL thickness and macular fovea thickness/volume were greater in eyes without optic neuritis than in eyes with optic neuritis. The average visual field parameters had positive correlations with the RNFL thickness and negative correlations with macular parameters in MS patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OCT measurements can effectively identify the nerve changes of MS patients, which provide more data for the diagnosis of MS.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Sai-Jing
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yi-An
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: macular volume; multiple sclerosis; optical coherence tomography; retinal nerve fiber layer thickness; visual field