Optical coherence tomography angiography in eyes with good visual acuity recovery after treatment for optic neuritis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the retinal perfusion using optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography in eyes with good visual acuity recovery after treatment for optic neuritis (ON). METHODS: Seven eyes of seven patients with good visual acuity recovery after treatment for monocular ON and seven eyes of each fellow eye used as controls were studied. Retinal perfusion around the disc and at the macula was evaluated using OCT angiography. The retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was measured around the disc. The ganglion cell layer complex thickness or the ganglion cell layer plus the inner plexiform layer thickness were measured at the macula. RESULTS: The retinal perfusions in all eyes with ON decreased around the disc and at the macula compared with those of the fellow eyes, as shown by OCT angiography (disc, P = 0.003; macula, P = 0.001). The retinal thicknesses in all eyes with ON also decreased around the disc and at the macula compared with those of the fellow eyes (disc, P < 0.001; macula, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Optic neuritis may cause not only retinal structural damage but also decreased retinal perfusion, even after the visual acuity recovered well after treatment.