[OCT in acute anterior uveitis]

To evaluate macular thickening, the state of the optic disc and retinal nerve fibers layer (RFNL) in patients with an actual episode of acute anterior uvetis (AAU) by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and compare them with a control group.

In this prospective, cross-sectional, observational and controlled study we recruited 27 consecutive eyes of 20 patients with an actual episode of AAU, age and sex-matched with 40 healthy eyes of 20 volunteers. The age ranged between 8 and 78 years old, and all were evaluated by the <>, <> and <> scans by OCT. The patients were evaluated twice in a period of 1 month in order to obtain an average between the two measurements by OCT.

We found a statistically significant increase in macular volume in AAU eyes compared with control eyes. Total macular volume in uveitic eyes was 7.3 SD 0.6 mm(3) and in healthy eyes was 7.01 SD 0.3 mm(3) (mean SD standard deviation) (p<0.001). Indeed, we found a statistically significant increase in the superior RFNL thickness compared with controls. The Smax/Imax measurement was 1.05 SD 0.1 in pathological eyes and in healthy eyes it was 0.97 SD 0.1 (p<0.02).

We found by OCT that patients suffering an AAU showed an increase in macular volume and superior RFNL thickness versus control eyes in the acute episode.