Ganglion cell complex and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in predicting visual outcome in brain tumors after surgery - Original Article - Prospective Study

Q: What was the study aiming to determine?

The study aimed to determine the proportion of eyes with RNFL and GCC thinning and their association with visual parameters in brain-tumor patients undergoing surgery.

Q: Who were the study participants and what was the follow-up duration?

The prospective study included 37 patients (69 eyes) with peri-chiasmatic or chiasmatic brain tumors undergoing surgical decompression, with a six-month postoperative follow-up.

Q: How did OCT measurements relate to visual outcomes?

RNFL and GCC thickness measurements using OCT were linked to visual recovery after chiasmal compression, with greater GCC thinning associated with worse visual impairment and ROC-derived cut-off values for preventing blindness.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy

Anterior visual pathway lesions can result in severe visual loss, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) can reveal ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning even when retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness appears normal. A prospective study evaluated 37 patients (69 eyes) with peri-chiasmatic or chiasmatic brain tumors undergoing surgical decompression between February 2019 and June 2020, with six-month postoperative follow-up and statistical testing at P < 0.05.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Aim

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Key Words

| W | J | E | M | World Journal of
Experimental Medicine | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Submit a Manuscript: [https://www.f6publishing.com](https://www.f6publishing.com) World J Exp Med 2025 December 20; 15(4): 108702 DOI: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i4.108702 ISSN 2220-315x (online) ORIGINAL ARTICLE Prospective Study Ganglion cell complex and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in predicting visual outcome in brain tumors after surgery Sucheta Parija, Koyel Chakraborty, Rabi Narayan Sahu, Bhagabat Nayak, Ravikumar Subraya Rathod Specialty type: Medicine, research and experimental Provenance and peer review: Invited article; Externally peer reviewed. Peer-review model: Single blind Peer-review report’s classification Scientific Quality: Grade B, Grade C Novelty: Grade B, Grade B Creativity or Innovation: Grade B, Grade B Scientific Significance: Grade B, Grade C P-Reviewer: O'Grady P, MD, Associate Professor, FACS, FRSC, Ireland; Zhu CR, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, China Received: April 22, 2025 Revised: June 10, 2025 Accepted: September 16, 2025 Published online: December 20, 2025 Processing time: 241 Days and 14.2 Hours Sucheta Parija, Bhagabat Nayak, Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneshwar 751019, Odisha, India Koyel Chakraborty, Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Kalyani, Kolkota 741245, West Bengal, India Rabi Narayan Sahu, Department of Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar 751019, Odisha, India Ravikumar Subraya Rathod, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh 160030, Chandīgarh, India Co-first authors: Sucheta Parija and Koyel Chakraborty. Corresponding author: Sucheta Parija, Head, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patrapada, Bhubaneshwar 751019, Odisha, India. [ophthal_sucheta@aiimsbhubaneswar.edu.in](ophthal_sucheta@aiimsbhubaneswar.edu.in) Abstract BACKGROUND Anterior visual pathway lesions can cause severe visual loss. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can detect ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning, even with normal retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and subtle visual field changes. AIM To determine the proportion of eyes with RNFL and GCC thinning and their association with visual parameters in patients with brain tumors undergoing surgery. METHODS A prospective study was conducted on 37 patients (69 eyes) with peri-chiasmatic and chiasmatic brain tumors undergoing surgical decompression between February 2019 and June 2020 at a tertiary care institute. A comprehensive neuroophthalmological work-up, demographic and clinical profile documentation, and six-month postoperative follow-up weredone. Statistical analysis was significant at P < 0.05. RESULTS Mean age was 35.14 ± 11.98 years. The best and worst visual outcomes were associated with the craniopharyngioma and meningioma groups, respectively (P = WJEM [https://www.wjgnet.com](https://www.wjgnet.com) 1 December 20, 2025 Volume 15 Issue 4 Parija S et al. GCC thickness predictor vision brain tumors 0.008) . There was an increase in the proportion of eyes with RNFL damage in the inferior quadrant (P = 0.02) . Maximum GCC thickness thinning was associated with severe visual impairment. The odds of having blindness in eyes with RNFL (inferior) and GCC loss were 0.96 (P = 0.003) and 0.95 (P = 0.03), respectively. GCC thickness showed a clinically positive correlation with visual acuity (r = -0.48, P < 0.001) and field defect (r = -0.27, P = 0.04) at six months postoperatively. The preoperative GCC thickness and the final postoperative visual outcome were plotted in an empirical ROC curve with area under the curve = 0.754. The cut-off value of RNFL (inferior) and GCC, beyond which blindness could be prevented, was 73 µm and 58 µm, respectively. CONCLUSION In chias

FAQs

What was the study aiming to determine?

The study aimed to determine the proportion of eyes with RNFL and GCC thinning and their association with visual parameters in brain-tumor patients undergoing surgery.

Who were the study participants and what was the follow-up duration?

The prospective study included 37 patients (69 eyes) with peri-chiasmatic or chiasmatic brain tumors undergoing surgical decompression, with a six-month postoperative follow-up.

How did OCT measurements relate to visual outcomes?

RNFL and GCC thickness measurements using OCT were linked to visual recovery after chiasmal compression, with greater GCC thinning associated with worse visual impairment and ROC-derived cut-off values for preventing blindness.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Franzy