Longitudinal Retinal Layer Changes and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate longitudinal changes in retinal layer thickness and clinical outcome in patients with MEWDS.

Methods: In 20 patients with MEWDS, SD-OCT images and BCVA were assessed at baseline, and at months 1, 3, and 12. SD-OCTs were segmented and measurements were performed within the fovea and a MEWDS lesion. Baseline and follow-up values in the affected eye were compared to measurements performed at the corresponding location in the fellow eye.

Results: ONL thickness was 4.7% thicker in MEWDS-eyes compared with the baseline, with a significant decrease of 9% at 3 months. Within the lesion, INL thickness was 7.9% increased at baseline and decreased significantly over the follow-up of 12 months. BCVA was decreased at baseline (0.2 ± 0.18logMAR) and at the 3 months but after 12 months had increased to 0.01 ± 0.04 logMAR.

Conclusion: MEWDS shows the involvement of different retinal layers and characteristic changes over the disease course.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome
• MEWDS
• optical coherence tomography
• photoreceptors
• ganglion cells

Acknowledgments

The authors thank René Rückert, MD, MBA from eye.gnos consulting Bern, Switzerland for support and critical review of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.