Abstract
Purpose :
The choroid is a vascular eye layer that provides nutrients and oxygen to the outer retina, exhibiting changes in diseases like central serous retinopathy (CSR). CSR is a retinal disease indicated by serous retinal detachment(s) that occurs more often in males than females. Patients with CSR have a thicker choroid than healthy patients, making the choroid a significant contributor to the CSR pathogenesis. Pattern dystrophy is another retinal disease characterized by patterns of pigment disposition in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) that exhibits changes in the choroid. This study investigates the choroidal thickness differences between sexes in CSR and pattern dystrophy patients.
Methods :
A retrospective analysis was conducted of 411 CSR patients, 103 pattern dystrophy patients, and 472 healthy patients who presented to Massachusetts Eye and Ear and from the Thessaloniki Eye Study. The choroidal thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images on the Heidelberg software. Patients who received anti-VEGF injections or PDT prior to initial presentation were excluded from the study since these treatment options cause thinning of the choroid. Multiple linear regressions were conducted accounting for inter-eye correlation to compare the choroidal thickness between sexes while controlling for age.
Results :
A multivariable linear regression indicated that choroidal thickness in all CSR patients was not significantly associated with sex (males n = 301, mean age = 49; females n = 109, mean age = 54; P=0.226) when controlling for age. When controlling for age and spherical equivalent, the choroidal thickness was also not significantly associated with sex (males n = 101, mean age = 52; females n = 55, mean age = 54; P=0.188). In pattern dystrophy patients, there was no significant association between choroidal thickness and sex when controlling for age (males n = 64, mean age = 68.208; females n = 39, mean age = 67.812; P = 0.808). In the control group, the choroidal thickness was significantly associated with sex (males n = 236, mean age = 65.79; females n = 236, mean age = 66.03; P=0.026) when controlling for age.
Conclusions :
This study illustrates that sex is not associated with choroidal thickness in CSR and pattern dystrophy patients but may be in healthy eyes.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.