Assessment of the optic nerve, optic disc, and perineural area using shear-wave elastography in patients with multiple sclerosis

Purpose: To observe and describe the stiffness changes of the optic nerve in the patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with or without optic neuritis and healthy adults via shear wave elastography (SWE). Methods: Seventy optic nerves from thirty-five patients with MS and sixty optic nerves from thirty healthy subjects were included prospectively in the study. The optic nerve (ON), optic disc (OD), and perineural area were evaluated with SWE and optic nerve sheat diameter (ONSD) was measured by ultrasound. Results The mean age of patients was 39.68 ± 9.99 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of ONSD, SWE ON, SWE OD, and SWE perineural area levels (p> 0.05). In the MS group; No statistically significant difference was found between patients with and without optic neuritis for the mean age, gender distribution, duration of MS, types of MS, ONSD, SWE ON, SWE OD, SWE perineural area, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores (p> 0.05). No statistically significant difference in terms of ONSD, SWE ON, SWE OD, and SWE perineural area between the MS patients with or without optic neuritis and the control group (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Shear wave elastography measurements of the optic nerve, optic disc, and perineural area do not contribute to the evaluation of optic neuritis in a patient with MS.