Analysis Of Choroidal Thickness In Patients With Optic Neuritis

Purpose In this study, we measured choroidal thickness of optic neuritis patients using Angio-OCT. We compare the clinical characteristics of patients with choroidal thickness to explore whether there is some corelation between them. Meanwhile, we compare choroidal thickness between patients and healthy people to see the difference, so that to evaluate whether choroidal thickness can help diagnose disease, evaluate treatment effect and prognosis.Methods This cross-sectional study included 25 patients of optic neuritis and 25 age and sex-matched control subjects.Besides a comprehensive ocular examination, all subjects underwent Angio-OCT examination using an Optovue RTVue OCT device (Optovue Inc. Fremont, Calif, USA). The scanning area included macular area and peripapillary area. Measurements were done at 17 locations in the macular area and 8 locations around the optic disc, and the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) was automatically measured by the software. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software.Results The subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) of patients affected eyes were negatively correlated with axial length (P= 0.003, correlation coefficient B=-45.36)of patients’ affected eyes; but the pain, RAPD, cup-disc ratio, cup volume, rim area, disc area, visual field showed no correlation with SFCT (P> 0.05).Furthermore, different sites of peripapillary choroidal thickness(PPCT) were affected by different factors. The temporal PPCT (P= 0.01), the superior temporal side (P= 0.000), superior side (P= 0.015), the superior nasal (P= 0.014), the nasal side(P = 0.035) all showed a positive correlation with gender. The temporal side (P= 0.021), inferior side(P= 0.017), inferior temporal side (P= 0.013) were positively correlated with age. The nasal side(P = 0.011), inferior nasal side(P= 0.003) were positively correlated with the cup volume. And the inferior side(P= 0.005), inferior temporal side (P= 0.007) were positively correlated with RAPD. The mean SFCT of ON affected eyes, the fellow eye and control group, respectively 307.56±61.95 μm,327.60±47.56 μm,315.48± 84.29μm. The affected eyes, fellow eyes were different from the control group at the 11500μm:the control group>the affected eyes>the fellow eyes, other locations of macular area were not significant difference. There was no significant difference between the PPCT among these groups (P> 0.05).Conclusion Choroidal thickness of different locations of ON affected eyes had different relevant factors. Comparison choroidal thickness of the ON affected eyes with the fellow eyes and the control group, there was no significant difference both of macular choroidal thickness (except for 11500 μm) or peripapillary choroidal thickness. In addition, peripapillary choroidal thickness had no corelation with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. Therefore, we inferred that choroidal thickness did not change significantly with optic neuritis. Maybe it is not that much helpful of choroidal thickness in diagnosing optic neurits, evaluating treatment effect and prognosis. Further study still needs to reveal the answer.