Characterisation of Ocular Manifestations in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Colombia: A Multicentric Study.

Abstract

To describe the ocular manifestations in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Colombia. We conducted a retrospective observational study of electronic medical records from MS patients evaluated at three referral centres in Bogotá, Colombia, between 2013 and 2020. Inclusion criteria comprised adult patients diagnosed with MS, confirmed by neurologists following the 2017 McDonald criteria. Data on patient demographics, MS phenotypes, ocular symptoms, clinical findings, and treatments were collected from the clinical charts and analysed using descriptive statistics. Optic neuritis was the most common ocular condition (34.1%), followed by glaucoma (6.1%) and nystagmus (4.5%). Other reported conditions included nerve palsies, uveitis, retinal vasculitis, and scleritis (0.8%-2.3%). Of the 618 MS patients reviewed, 132 (19.4%) had ocular manifestations reported. Most were female (71.2%), with a mean age of 34.9 ± 11.8 years. Ocular manifestations were frequent in patients with MS in this Colombian sample. Optic neuritis is the most common, but glaucoma and other ocular pathologies can also develop. Therefore, due to the frequent co-occurrence of these conditions, patients with MS or optic neuritis should have rigorous follow-up care coordinated between ophthalmologists and neurologists.