Neurológia pre prax 2/2023

Value of OCT‑A in patients with multiple sclerosis

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel, non-invasive, fast, repeatable, 3D imaging method for retinal, choroidal, and optic nerve vessels. OCT-A has the potential to become a new biomarker of various ophthalmological (e.g. glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration) and neurological disorders. Retinal microcirculation share similar features with cerebral small blood vessels, thus OCT-A may be considered a „window“ for the detection of microvascular changes which are associated with neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. In this review, we summarize recent findings regarding the utility of OCT-A as a novel, prospective biomarker for early diagnosis and monitoring of multiple sclerosis.

Keywords: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel, non-invasive, fast, repeatable, 3D imaging method for retinal, choroidal, and optic nerve vessels. OCT-A has the potential to become a new biomarker of various ophthalmological (e.g. glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration) and neurological disorders. Retinal microcirculation share similar features with cerebral small blood vessels, thus OCT-A may be considered a „window“ for the detection of microvascular changes which are associated with neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. In this review, we summarize recent findings regarding the utility of OCT-A as a novel, prospective biomarker for early diagnosis and monitoring of multiple sclerosis.