Two-year macular volume assessment in multiple sclerosis patients treated with fingolimod

Background Fingolimod (FNG) is associated with the development of symptomatic macular edema (ME) in a small subset of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. By using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), an increase in the total macular volume (TMV) was rarely detected during the first months of treatment. Objectives The objective of this study is to assess whether FNG treatment leads to long-term macular changes in a real-life setting. Methods Sixty RRMS patients starting FNG, according to therapeutic indication, were enrolled at three Italian MS centers and followed for 2 years. Results The mean TMV did not change between baseline and the follow-up. No patients experienced visual acuity drop during the follow-up. Conclusions Initiation of FNG in MS is associated with a modest, not significant, increase in macular volume followed by no further significant changes over 2 years, highlighting the good safety profile of such treatment in MS.

Automated summary

In a real-life setting, initiation of FNG treatment in multiple sclerosis patients did not result in significant changes in macular volume over a 2-year period, demonstrating the treatment's good safety profile in MS.