OCT/OCTA findings highlight neuroretinal alterations in fibromyalgia patients

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Turkish researchers reported that optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) provide objective supplementary measurements of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) and the circumpapillary vessel density (cpVD) when assessing patients with fibromyalgia. Changes in these measurements help evaluate the neuroretinal changes in patients with fibromyalgia, according to first author Tuğba Aydoğen Gezginaslan, MD. She and her colleagues are from the Eye Clinic, University of Health Sciences Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Umraniye, Istanbul, Turkey.

The study included 44 patients with fibromyalgia and 40 healthy controls. OCT and OCTA were performed to evaluate the superficial vessel density (SVD), deep VD (DVD), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and cpVD. The measurements from the patients were compared with those of the controls.

Each patient with fibromyalgia completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Short Form-36, Widespread Pain Index and Symptom Severity Scale. The correlations between the questionnaires and the OCT/OCTA findings were evaluated, the investigators explained.

The results showed that compared with the controls, the patients with fibromyalgia had lower thickness values of the macular full thickness parafoveal nasal, temporal, superior, inferior, perifoveal temporal, superior, GCL+ parafoveal nasal, temporal, superior, inferior; GCL+ perifoveal temporal; GCL++ parafoveal nasal, temporal, superior, inferior; and GCL++ perifoveal nasal areas.

GCL+ includes the GCL and the inner plexiform layer (IPL); GCL++ includes the GCL, IPL, and the macular RNFL.

The RNFL temporal area was lower in patients with fibromyalgia. The cpVD in the nasal, superior and inferior areas were higher in fibromyalgia; logistic regression analysis showed that the superior cpVD was associated with fibromyalgia.

The investigators saw no differences in the SVD, DVD or FAZ measurements; however, weak correlations were seen between the questionnaires’ findings and the OCT/OCTA parameters.

The results led them to conclude, “OCT/OCTA can provide objective supplementary measurements in the assessment of FM. Changes in measurements such as the RNFL, macula GCL, and cpVD are important to evaluate the neuroretinal changes in FM.”

Reference

1. Gezginaslan TA, Limon U, Kaleoğlu Ö, et al. Evaluation of optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography findings of fibromyalgia. Int Ophthalmol. 2025;45; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-024-03363-8