Study Of Changes In Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness After Phacoemulsification

Objective: To investigate the changes of subfoveal choroidal thickness(SFCT) after phacoemulsification, to analyze factors related to the changes and to gain insight into mechanism about these changes.Methods:Twenty-seven eyes of 23 cases with senile cataract were enrolled in this pro spective study. The cases included 6 males and 17 females, with average age of 72.0±9.2 years. SFCT, Central retinal thickness(CRT) and intraocular pressure(IOP)wer e measured preoperatively1 day, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months after surgery respe ctively and SFCT measurement were performed with enhanced depth imaging optica l coherence tomography(EDI-OCT). The difference in SFCT changes between sex w as analyzed statistically. Regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors res ulting in the changes of subfoveal choroidal thickness, including CRT, age, axial lengt h(AL) and IOP.Results: EDI-OCT scan showed that there was no case with cystoid macular edema(CME) and other complications after phacoemulsification. The mean value of SFCT before surgery was 201.2±45.8μm. Compared with the preoperative SFCT, the mean value of SFCT was 213.1±47.9μm, 223.8±49.4μm, 238.7±54.9μm and 221.0±50.0μm at postoperative 1 day, 2 weeks,1 month and 3 months, respectively, with a statistically significant increase after surgery(P<0.01). Compared with the mean CRT of 224.11±17.81μm before surgery, the mean value of CRT was 227.22±12.96μm, 230.11±18.57μm, 230.67±21.00μm and 31.44±20.99μm at 1 day, 2 weeks,1 month and3 months after cataract extraction, respectively. Different from the changes in SFCT,CRT have increased statistically only at 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively(P<0.05). The preoperative average IOP was 16.31±3.14 mm Hg. After surgery operation, the mean IOP was 15.85±3.42 mm Hg, 14.63±3.22 mm Hg,13.68±3.01 mm Hg and 13.57±3.37 mm Hg at 1 day, 2 weeks,1 month and 3 months in dependently, and only at 1 month and 3 months after surgery, the alteration were remarkable. Though the mean changes of SFCT in male patients were grater than counterparts in female patients, the difference was unnoticeable. Univariate regression analysis indicated that there was correlation between SFCT changes and CRT changes only at 1 day after operation and in general, the change of SFCT was insignificantly related with factors such as sex, age, IOP and AL.Conclusion:With the help of EDI-OCT, the sensitive and actual thickening of SFCT could be detected after phacoemulsification, and the changes reached a peak at 1month. The changes of SFCT insignificantly related with sex, age, AL and IOP.