Optical coherence tomography measures axonal loss in multiple sclerosis independently of optic neuritis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disabling disorder histopathologically characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and axonal loss. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique similar to ultrasound echography that has recently been used to assess axonal loss and damage associated with optic neuritis (ON). Interestingly, some authors also observed significant reductions of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) even in clinically unaffected eyes, which is in line with postmortem studies demonstrating that atrophy of the nerve fiber and ganglion cell layers is present in the m…