Color Doppler imaging evaluation of blood flow parameters in ophthalmic and posterior ciliary arteries and optic nerve diameter in chronic optic neuritis in multiple sclerosis patients

•The effect of chronic optic neuritis is evaluated in MS patients’ hemodynamics of the arteries of the eye bulb, using color Doppler imaging, as well as the optic nerve diameter by transorbital sonography.•The results showed that optic nerve diameter was significantly higher in the affected eyes of MS patients with chronic ON, in comparison to their unaffected eyes.•No significant difference was observed in comparing the affected and unaffected eyes of these patients, regarding the peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistance index (RI) and Pulsatile index (PI) in ophthalmic and posterior ciliary arteries. Optic neuritis (ON) is a common clinical manifestation of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which is associated with reduced visual acuity, blurred vision, blindness and retro-bulbar pain. In several studies, specific relations between optic nerve diameter and hemodynamics of the eye bulb arteries with ON have been reported. However, no consensus has been reached in this regard. We aim at determining the alterations in optic nerve diameter and eye bulb arteries hemodynamics in ON in MS patients. This case-control study includes 40 patients, who at least had experienced one phase of ON, in one of their eyes. To measure hemodynamics of arteries in the affected eyes, a color Doppler imaging was performed and end diastolic velocity (EDV), peak systolic velocity (PSV), peripheral resistance indices i.e. resistance index (RI) and pulsatile index (PI) were measured in posterior ciliary artery (PCA) and ophthalmic artery (OA). Also, optic nerve diameter was measured using sonography. Non-affected eyes of these patients were considered as control group. There were no significant differences in EDV, PSV, RI and PI in PCA and OA. The mean optic nerve diameter in the affected eyes was 4.73 mm, whereas, it was 4.31 mm in unaffected eyes, which was significantly different (P = .02). These results indicate that there is a significant relation between eye involvement and increased optic nerve diameter in MS patients with chronic ON. While, there were no significant relations in EDV, PSV, RI and PI in PCA and OA comparing two groups. [Display omitted]