Central and Peripheral Alterations of Retinal and Choroidal Vasculature in Multiple Sclerosis: Insights from Multimodal Imaging

Purpose: To evaluate retinal and choroidal vascular alterations in multiple sclerosis (MS) using multimodal imaging and determine their association with disability and disease progression. Design: Prospective, observational, single center, cross-sectional, case-control study. Participants: Sixteen MS and 25 control participants. Methods: Multimodal retinal imaging, including color fundus photography, ultra-widefield imaging, OCT, and OCT angiography, were performed. Retinal vascular parameters (RVPs) and choroidal vascular parameters (CVPs) were compared between control eyes and eyes with (eyes with a history of optic neuritis [MSON]) and without optic neuritis (ON) (eyes without a history of ON [MSnON]) using regression models. Associations of RVPs and CVPs with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores and annual EDSS progression rate were assessed. Subanalysis compared RVPs and CVPs between MSnON and MSON eyes using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Main Outcome Measures: Differences in RVPs and CVPs between groups and associations with EDSS and annual rate of EDSS progression. Results: = 0.010). Conclusions: Structural retinal and choroidal vascular alterations in MS were associated with disability and disease progression. These findings highlight the importance of retinal vascular assessments in the diagnosis, monitoring, and prognostication of MS, warranting confirmation in longitudinal studies. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.