Unilateral peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation and optic disk rotation

To examine the morphology of the optic nerve head in patients with unilateral peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitations (PICCs).

The hospital-based observational study included patients with unilateral PICCs. Tomographic images of the parapapillary fundus were taken by enhanced depth imaging mode of optical coherent tomography. The ocular biometric parameters were compared between the affected eyes and the contralateral unaffected eyes.

The study population consisted of 30 patients with a mean age of 42.7 ± 13.8 years (range: 22-72 years), mean axial length of 26.7 ± 2.4 mm (range: 22.00-32.30 mm), and mean refractive error of -8.71 ± 5.21 diopters (range: -20.50 to +0.50 diopters). In the eyes affected by PICC as compared with the contralateral eyes, the vertical (P = 0.001) and the minimal optic disk diameters (P = 0.01) were significantly shorter, the ratio of minimal to maximal disk diameter was significantly lower (P = 0.03), and the angle of disk rotation was significantly higher (P < 0.001).

In patients with unilateral PICCS, the eyes with PICCs had optic disks that were more spindlelike configured because of a disk rotation around the vertical axis and around the sagittal axis as compared with the contralateral eyes.