Peripapillary and macular choroidal thickness in glaucoma.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Research
• Optical Coherence Tomography

Background:

• Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy often associated with elevated intraocular pressure.
• The role of choroidal thickness (CT) in glaucoma pathophysiology is not fully understood.
• Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) allows for detailed imaging of ocular structures, including the choroid.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare choroidal thickness (CT) between individuals with and without glaucomatous damage.
• To investigate the relationship between peripapillary and submacular CT and glaucoma severity.
• To utilize SD-OCT for precise anatomical measurements.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-one eyes from 20 normal subjects and 43 glaucoma patients were analyzed.
• High-definition SD-OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT) was used for imaging.
• Choroidal thickness was measured at four macular and peripapillary points and compared between groups, with adjustments for confounding factors.

Main Results:

• Adjusted average CT was not significantly different between glaucoma patients and controls (P=0.083), except in the temporal parafoveal region (P=0.037).
• Choroidal thickness did not correlate with glaucoma severity, as measured by mean deviation (MD) on visual fields (r=-0.187, P=0.176).
• Neither did CT correlate with average nerve fiber layer thickness (r=-0.151, P=0.275).

Conclusions:

• Choroidal thickness in the macular and peripapillary regions is not reduced in glaucoma patients.
• SD-OCT anatomical measurements do not support a direct influence of the choroid on glaucoma pathophysiology.
• Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the role of the choroid in ocular diseases.