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Optic Nerve and its Arterial-Venous Vascularization: An Ultrasonologic Study in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Healthy Controls

  1. Nicola Carraro MD,
  2. Giovanna Servillo MD,
  3. Vittoria Maria Sarra MD,
  4. Angelo Bignamini PhD,
  5. Gilberto Pizzolato MD,
  6. Marino Zorzon MD

Article first published online: 28 DEC 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2012.00758.x

Additional Information

How to Cite

Carraro, N., Servillo, G., Sarra, V. M., Bignamini, A., Pizzolato, G. and Zorzon, M. (2012), Optic Nerve and its Arterial-Venous Vascularization: An Ultrasonologic Study in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Healthy Controls. Journal of Neuroimaging. doi: 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2012.00758.x

Author Information

  1. From the Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Neurology-Stroke Unit, University Hospital, University of Trieste, Italy (NC, GS, VMS, GP, MZ); and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences “Piero Pratesi”, School of Specialization in Hospital Pharmacy, University of Milan, Italy (AB)

*Nicola Carraro, MD, AOU “Ospedali Riuniti”, Trieste – Department of Medical Sciences Strada di Fiume, 447 Trieste, TS 34149, Italy. E-mail: n.carraro@fmc.units.it, m.zorzon@fmc.units.it.

  1. Conflicts of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

  2. J Neuroimaging 2012;XX:1-5.

Publication History

  1. Article first published online: 28 DEC 2012
  2. Acceptance: Received March 4, 2012, and in revised form May 5, 2012. Accepted for publication May 22, 2012.

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Keywords:

  • Optic neuritis;
  • ophthalmic venous flow;
  • optic nerve atrophy;
  • ophthalmic arterial flow

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Recent studies suggest that alterations in the cerebrospinal venous system may play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) and that chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency correlates with clinical features of MS patients.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the vascularization of optic nerve (ONr) and measure ONe thickness by color Doppler ultrasonography in MS patients with and without previous optic neuritis (ONe).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We assessed flow variables in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and central retinal vein and measured the diameter of ONe in 46 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 37 healthy controls (HC). Twenty-two MS patients had previous ONe and 24 MS patients had not. Patients with acute ONe were not included. We examined and compared 63 unaffected and 29 affected eyes of MS patients with 74 control eyes.

RESULTS

Regarding flow variables, we did not find any significant difference between HC, MS affected, and unaffected eyes. Comparing ONr diameters, we found a progressive significant thinning of the ONr from HC to MS patients without and with past ONe.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no significant alteration in the arterial-venous vascularization of both affected and unaffected ONr compared with HC. We demonstrated the possibility to detect ONr atrophy in MS patients.

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