The Effect of Intravenous Prednisolone Treatment on the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Optic Neuritis

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential impact of intravenous (IV) prednisolone treatment on the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with optic neuritis (ON).
METHODS: The demographic features, systemic illnesses, laboratory results, ophthalmological examination findings and RNFL measurements of 28 MS patients who had IV prednisolone treatment for ON and of 24 MS patients with ON that was not treated were retrieved and reviewed retrospectively.
RESULTS: Of the 52 patients included in the study, 31 were women and 21 were men. The average age in the prednisolone group was 32±7.15 years (range: 28-40 years) and it was 34±.2 years (range: 30-42 years) in patients who did not receive treatment. The initial RNFL in the treatment group was 116.81±5.41μm and it was 78.13±3.94 μm at the third month, while it was 118.2±6.07 μm initially and 80.09±5.18 μm at the third month in the untreated group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the RNLF evaluation (p>0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Treatment with IV prednisolone had no distinct effect on RNFL.