Contributions
Abstract: P720
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - Neuro-ophthalmology
The morphology of retinal vessel branching patterns can be characterized using fractal analysis, while the integrity of retinal cell layers is routinely assessed by volumetric measurements via optical coherence tomography (OCT).
We quantitatively characterized the complexity of retinal vessel branching patterns in subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) and assessed whether this is associated with damage to retinal cell layers.
Aim:
1. To test the hypothesis that retinal vessel complexity is different between MS patients and healthy controls, as well as across MS disease subtypes.
2. To Test the hypothesis that changes in retinal vessel complexity are associated with changes in retinal layer thickness.
3. To test the hypothesis that retinal vessel complexity is associated with demographics and disability status.
In this cross-sectional study, 103 subjects with MS (90 relapsing-remitting and 13 secondary progressive) and 45 healthy controls had OCT scans performed, with fundoscopy images analyzed using a novel fractal based algorithm to assess the complexity of retinal vessel branching. Mean fractal dimension (D) was compared between MS patients and controls, as well as between relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive disease subtypes using t-test. Within the MS group, D was also correlated with measures of retinal layer thickness, as well as with demographics and disability status using Spearman's correlation. We found that D was lower in MS patients compared to healthy controls (p=0.014). Albeit non-significant, D was slightly lower in secondary progressive compared to relapsing-remitting MS patients (p=0.11). In MS patients D was positively correlated with retinal volume measures (rho=0.27, p=0.01 for the ganglion cell layer; rho=0.25, p=0.01 for the inner plexiform layer; rho=0.21, p=0.05 for the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer). D was not significantly correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale score, age, or sex.
The structural complexity of retinal vessel branching morphology is reduced in subjects with MS compared to healthy controls and is associated with thinning of the retinal cell layers, especially the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers.
Disclosure: Michele Cavallari, Claudio Stamile, and Renato Umeton are co-authors on the following patents: "Smart Fundus Camera - a portable medical device for quantitative retinal image analysis through a smart-phone" U.S. Patent 9,468,377 - October 18, 2016; and "Dispositivo medico portatile e metodo per l´acquisizione di immagini della retina e esecuzione di analisi quantitative sull´immagine della retina" IT Patent 1423628 - August 22, 2016. Claudio Stamile was funded by European project EU MC ITN TRANSACT 2012 (no. 316679) and the ERC Advanced Grant BIOTENSORS no. 339804. Dr. Chitnis has served on the advisory boards for clinical trials sponsored by Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme, and has received consulting/advisory fees from Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Genentech-Roche, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme. She has received research grant support from Biogen, Serono and Verily. Dr. Guttmann: nothing to disclose that could constitute a conflict of interest for this work; he has received research funding from Sanofi, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Alliance. Dorlan Kimbrough: nothing to disclose.
Abstract: P720
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Clinical aspects of MS - Neuro-ophthalmology
The morphology of retinal vessel branching patterns can be characterized using fractal analysis, while the integrity of retinal cell layers is routinely assessed by volumetric measurements via optical coherence tomography (OCT).
We quantitatively characterized the complexity of retinal vessel branching patterns in subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS) and assessed whether this is associated with damage to retinal cell layers.
Aim:
1. To test the hypothesis that retinal vessel complexity is different between MS patients and healthy controls, as well as across MS disease subtypes.
2. To Test the hypothesis that changes in retinal vessel complexity are associated with changes in retinal layer thickness.
3. To test the hypothesis that retinal vessel complexity is associated with demographics and disability status.
In this cross-sectional study, 103 subjects with MS (90 relapsing-remitting and 13 secondary progressive) and 45 healthy controls had OCT scans performed, with fundoscopy images analyzed using a novel fractal based algorithm to assess the complexity of retinal vessel branching. Mean fractal dimension (D) was compared between MS patients and controls, as well as between relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive disease subtypes using t-test. Within the MS group, D was also correlated with measures of retinal layer thickness, as well as with demographics and disability status using Spearman's correlation. We found that D was lower in MS patients compared to healthy controls (p=0.014). Albeit non-significant, D was slightly lower in secondary progressive compared to relapsing-remitting MS patients (p=0.11). In MS patients D was positively correlated with retinal volume measures (rho=0.27, p=0.01 for the ganglion cell layer; rho=0.25, p=0.01 for the inner plexiform layer; rho=0.21, p=0.05 for the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer). D was not significantly correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale score, age, or sex.
The structural complexity of retinal vessel branching morphology is reduced in subjects with MS compared to healthy controls and is associated with thinning of the retinal cell layers, especially the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers.
Disclosure: Michele Cavallari, Claudio Stamile, and Renato Umeton are co-authors on the following patents: "Smart Fundus Camera - a portable medical device for quantitative retinal image analysis through a smart-phone" U.S. Patent 9,468,377 - October 18, 2016; and "Dispositivo medico portatile e metodo per l´acquisizione di immagini della retina e esecuzione di analisi quantitative sull´immagine della retina" IT Patent 1423628 - August 22, 2016. Claudio Stamile was funded by European project EU MC ITN TRANSACT 2012 (no. 316679) and the ERC Advanced Grant BIOTENSORS no. 339804. Dr. Chitnis has served on the advisory boards for clinical trials sponsored by Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme, and has received consulting/advisory fees from Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Genentech-Roche, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme. She has received research grant support from Biogen, Serono and Verily. Dr. Guttmann: nothing to disclose that could constitute a conflict of interest for this work; he has received research funding from Sanofi, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Alliance. Dorlan Kimbrough: nothing to disclose.