Abstract
Purpose :
Choroidal thickness (CT) is considered a promising parameter to monitor the severity of inflammation. We hypothesize that inflammation of the iris and ciliary body in anterior uveitis might affect the CT, and inflammation of the choroid in intermediate, posterior and panuveitis might affect the retinal thickness.(RT)
Methods :
Prospective case-control study of 32 eyes with anterior, 5 eyes with intermediate, 24 eyes with posterior, 24 eyes with panuveitis, and 51 control eyes were performed with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography. Macular mapping was applied for automated RT measurements of subfoveal, 2mm temporal (T) and 2 mm nasal (N) to the fovea on the horizontal axis, and subfoveal, 2 mm superior (S) and 2 mm inferior (I) to the fovea on the vertical axis. Manual measurement of the CT was performed on EDI scans at the corresponding distances and axis. Statistical analysis was performed by using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests.
Results :
CT 2 mm N to the fovea at the horizontal axis was significantly decreased in anterior uveitis (234.48 -/+ 56.96 µm) compared to control. (295.33 -/+ 83.56 µm) (p = 0.001) RT 2 mm I to the fovea on the vertical axis was significantly increased in intermediate uveitis (352.75 -/+15.17µm) compared to control, (308.17 -/+17.55 µm) (p < 0.001) and anterior uveitis. (314.09 -/+18.37µm) (p = 0.001) RT 2 mm S to the fovea on the vertical axis was significantly increased in intermediate uveitis (368.75 -/+ 24.59 µm) compared to control, (313.86 -/+ 13.34 µm) (p <0.001) anterior uveitis, (309.70 -/+17.57 µm) (p < 0.001) and posterior uveitis. (305.45 -/+ 49.21 µm) (p = 0.004) RT 2 mm S to the fovea on the vertical axis was significantly increased in panuveitis (349.00 -/+57.49 µm) compared to control, (p =0.004) and anterior uveitis. (p = 0.002)
Conclusions :
Our results are consistent with our hypothesis that anterior uveitis affects CT which might be related to the choroidal vascular changes secondary to inflammatory vasodilation or fibrosis of the iris and ciliary body vessels. Inflammation of the choroid causes increase in RT in intermediate, posterior and panuveitis. Further comparative studies will be needed to understand the changes in choroidal vasculature and RT in uveitis.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.