Assessment of optic pathway structure and function in patients with compression of the optic chiasm: A correlation with optical coherence tomography

Abstract

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to investigate correlations between retinal fiber thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and anterograde functional and structural differences in the optic pathway of patients with compression of the optic chiasm. Our hypothesis was that loss of visual acuity caused by chronic compressive pathologies may lead to an irreversible decline in vision because of permanent neurodegeneration of the optic radiations and visual cortex. METHODS. Quantitative OCT, functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor MRI measurements were made in 17 patients being surgically treated for chiasmal compression. RESULTS. In our study we fou..