Abstract
Purpose:
To report the morphologic changes of the subfoveal choroidal thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography following segmental scleral buckling.
Methods:
The study included 21 eyes of 20 patients who underwent segmental scleral buckling and cryotherapy and 8 eyes of 7 patients who underwent segmental scleral buckling without cryotherapy for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. All patients underwent the measurements of the subfoveal choroidal thickness preoperatively and 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively.
Results:
The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness of operated eyes with cryotherapy measured preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively were 239.2 ± 91.0μm, 267.6 ± 96.8μm, 250.6 ± 95.8μm and 239.4 ± 95.6μm, respectively. There were significant differences between subfoveal choroidal thicknesses preoperatively and 1 week and 1 month postoperatively (p<0.01, p=0.03, ANOVA), and there was no significant difference between subfoveal choroidal thicknesses preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively (p=1.0, ANOVA). The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness of operated eyes without cryotherapy measured preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively were 258.1 ± 80.4μm, 280.7 ± 77.3μm, 265.0 ± 72.6μm and 255.0 ± 78.5μm, respectively. There were significant differences between subfoveal choroidal thicknesses preoperatively and 1 week postoperatively (p=0.008, repeated ANOVA), and there was no significant difference between subfoveal choroidal thicknesses preoperatively and 1 month and 3 months postoperatively (p=0.688 and p=0.957, repeated ANOVA).
Conclusions:
The subfoveal choroidal thickness may change temporarily following segmental scleral buckling surgery regardless of whether the cryotherapy is used. This may be the result of reversible subclinical microcirculatory dysfunction of the choroid.
Keywords: 697 retinal detachment •
452 choroid