Comparative study of retinal ganglion cell complex thinning by visual field patterns following post-geniculate lesions.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between retinal ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning following post-geniculate lesions and the time elapsed since cerebrovascular disorder (CVD) onset.

Study design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Forty-seven patients with hemianopic visual field defects (VFD) due to post-geniculate lesions were retrospectively enrolled from our clinical optical coherence tomography (OCT) database. GCC thickness was measured using spectral-domain OCT, with a 6 mm circle centered on the fovea divided into hemianopic and unaffected sides. The decline rate (DR) was calculated as the percentage reduction in GCC thickness on the hemianopic side relative to the unaffected side.

Results: Patients were grouped based on VFD patterns: complete homonymous hemianopia (A), homonymous hemianopia with macular sparing (B), homonymous scotomatous defects (C), superior quadrantanopia (D), and inferior quadrantanopia (E). A positive correlation (r = 0.581, p < 0.001) was found between the time elapsed since CVD onset and DR. More than 5% DR was observed in 29 of 47 cases (61.7%). Significant differences were noted between group A (specifically, the temporal lobe lesion) and group B (p = 0.0183), as well as between group A and group C (p = 0.0378).

Conclusion: A significant correlation was observed between DR and the time elapsed. Several factors, such as lesion location, type, size, and the involvement of gray or white matter, influence retrograde trans-synaptic degeneration (RTSD). Our findings suggest that RTSD is influenced by the distance from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN).