Predictive value of macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness in visual field defect of pituitary adenoma patients: a case-control study

The present study explored the association between preoperative macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (GCIPL) and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the recovery of visual field (VF) defect after surgery in pituitary adenoma patients.

This case-control study included patients with pituitary adenoma in the Neurosurgery Department of Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital between October 2019 and June 2021. Cranial MRI examination, three-dimensional OCT, and VF testing (Humphrey Field Analyzer II750) were performed before and at 6months after the surgery.

Fifty-three pituitary adenoma patients (81 eyes) were enrolled; 15 patients (23 eyes) were in the visual field did not recover group (VFNR), and 38 patients (58 eyes) were in the visual field recovered group (VFR). The temporal RNFL (P = 0.002) and average RNFL (P = 0.009) in the VFNR group were significantly lower than in the VFR group. The superior nasal GCIPL (P = 0.001), inferior nasal GCIPL (P = 0.001) and average GCIPL (P = 0.01) were significantly lower in the VFNR group than in the VFR group (all P < 0.01).The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that nasal inferior GCIPL was an independent risk factor for VF recovery (odds ratio (OR) = 1.376,95% confidence interval (CI):1.089-1.739,P = 0.007). In the received operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, the area under the ROC curve (AUROCs) was the highest for nasal inferior GCIPL (AUROC = 0.739).

In patients who underwent resection of pituitary adenoma, nasal inferior GCIPL was an independent risk factor of visual field defect recover after surgery.