Abstract
Purpose: :
We deal with understanding how anorexia nervosa (AN) can change vision in a subclinical form.
Methods: :
We studied 29 female patients (58 eyes) diagnosed with restrictive AN, without ocular symptoms and 22 healthy female controls (44 eyes), that were tested for the nutrional status. A systematised ophthalmic examination was performed, including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field (VF), spectral domain opthical coherence tomography (OCT), analyzing the RNFL of the optic nerve. Urinary serotonin (5-HT) levels and body mass index (BMI) were also recorded. Statistical analysis was done by the SPSS 15.0 program.
Results: :
Ophthalmic examination was normal including the color vision test, pupillary reflect and intraocular presure (IOP). However, BCVA was significantly lower in the anorectics (20/30) than in the controls (20/21), (p=0,007). The visual field (VF), mean defect (MD) was + 1,754dB vs +0,455 in the control group, (p=0,03), the mean sensitivity 27,368dB vs 28,545 in the control group, (p=0,02). The RNFL average thickness was 94,92µm vs 107,50 in the control group, (p=0,044). urinary 5-HT levels were 69,545µg/L in the anorectics vs 1137,81 in the controls(p=0,002).
Conclusions: :
Our preliminary study shows noticeable differences in visual parameters between both groups. We suggest that the visual field performance and the OCT tool has to be considered for better managing eating disorders. Screening programs may include urinary serotonin determinations as a biochemical marker of these patients.