Choroidal thickness after intraarterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma

To measure the choroidal thickness (CT) and analyze the morphologic features of chorioretinal structures using a portable handheld spectral domain-optical coherence tomography in patients with retinoblastoma after intraarterial chemotherapy.

This was a case-control study. Eighteen eyes of 9 patients with unilateral retinoblastoma treated with intraarterial chemotherapy were assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Submacular CT was measured at the foveola and at points located 500 μm and 2 mm from the foveola. The treated eye was compared with the untreated (control) eye.

Mean submacular CT was 174 ± 111.1 μm in the treated eyes and 259 ± 42.2 μm in the control eyes (P = 0.054). Several point locations showed statistically significant differences comparing CT (treated eye vs. control eye), including subfoveolar (P = 0.030), nasal 0.5 mm (P = 0.037), nasal 2 mm (P = 0.049), and temporal 2 mm (P = 0.031). In 4 patients with ophthalmoscopically visible choroidal atrophy, submacular CT was reduced by 73.3 ± 14.1% compared with the control eye. In 5 patients with no ophthalmoscopically visible choroidal atrophy, submacular CT was reduced by 0.5 ± 11.9% compared with the control eye.

Intraarterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma can cause reduction in subfoveolar CT. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography confirmed choroid to be thinned in eyes with or without clinical evidence of choroidal atrophy.