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Abstract Details

The Gender Role in Early Multiple Sclerosis Utilizing Optical Coherence Tomography
Multiple Sclerosis
P2 - Poster Session 2 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)
9-018
To compare the gender influence on retinal volumes and thickness of patients with early multiple sclerosis (MS).
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a fast, non-invasive tool utilized to quantify retinal thickness and volume. It is thought that males may experience a more aggressive course of MS than females with faster accumulation of disability.
Thirty-eight patients in the early stages of MS (within 3 years of symptom onset) underwent OCT exams and were included in this single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 20 males (mean age±SD: 40.6±10.0; mean disease duration±SD: 0.7±1.1) and 18 females (mean age±SD: 38.4±15.4; mean disease duration±SD: 1.1±1.1). All OCT scans were performed by an experienced technician to quantify peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness. The pRNFL was then separated into quadrant thickness: superior (S), inferior (I), nasal (N), and temporal (T). Fully automated, intra-retinal segmentation was performed to measure the volume of the macula: total macular (TMV), ganglion cell + inner plexiform (GCIPL), and photoreceptor (PR). A multivariate analysis (MANOVA) with gender as the independent variable and OCT parameters as dependent variables was used to analyze our data. Age and disease duration were included as covariates (SPSS v25).
TMV was found to be statistically lower in the female group than the male group (p=0.022). Similarly, the PR layer was lower in the female group than the male group (p=0.017). GCIPL volume and the S quadrant of the pRNFL were trending lower in females than males, but did not reach significance (p=0.056, and p=0.056, respectively).
Our study indicates more prominent retinal volume loss in females than males in the early stages of MS. OCT should be utilized as a surrogate tool to monitor disease progression, especially in the female population. Future longitudinal studies with larger samples should be conducted to confirm these findings.
Authors/Disclosures
Melody Gilroy, BS
PRESENTER 		Ms. Gilroy has nothing to disclose.
Madeline Bross (Wayne State University) Ms. Bross has nothing to disclose.
Carla E. Santiago-Martinez (Wayne State University) Ms. Santiago-Martinez has nothing to disclose.
Evanthia Bernitsas, MD, FÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ (Wayne State School of Medicine) Dr. Bernitsas has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Amgen. Dr. Bernitsas has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Vanda. The institution of Dr. Bernitsas has received research support from Roche/Genentech.