Abstract

Aim: To analyze the clinical signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) and show that optic neuritis is one of the first event, which indicates the development of disease. Patients and methods: The study involved 89 cases in which it confirmed MS at the time of the March 2009–2011. Since ophthalmological parameters were analyzed: visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF), and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness of peripapillary rim by optic coherent tomography (OCT). Results: Ten(10) patients had ON as the first clinical manifestation of the disease which was statistically significant (X2 =9,7 p=0,01) compared to the manifestation of other clinical signs of disease. In VF, centrocecal scotomas were predominant in 50% of the subjects; the RNFL thinning of the neuroretinal rim was verified in all patients, most often in the upper quadrant. A month after pulse corticosteroid therapy, visual acuity in all patients with ON ranged from 0.6 to 1.0. Conclusion: ON is one of the first MS clinical manifestation. In VF, the most common disturbances are in the centrocecal area. The RNFL thinning was verified in all patients with OCT.

Key words: multiple sclerosis (MS), optic neuritis (ON), visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF), retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness.