A PILOT STUDY OF CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN LONG-TERM SMOKERS

To compare the choroidal thicknesses in long-term smokers with those of nonsmoking healthy individuals using spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

Forty-six individuals who had been smoking at least for 20 years, but otherwise without systemic problems, participated in this prospective pilot study. The control group comprised 42 nonsmoking individuals.

The ages, refractions, and axial length measurements of the cases were recorded. Central macular thickness and choroidal thickness at the fovea and at 500 μm intervals from the foveal center in both temporal and nasal directions were measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

Although the smoking period of the smokers was mean 32.4 ± 9 years (range: 20-60), the mean pack-years of cigarettes was 35.1 ± 23.8 (range: 10-120). No significant difference was observed regarding refraction value and axial length between smokers and nonsmokers group. In addition, no significant difference was observed for central macular thickness and choroidal thickness values at 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 μm nasal and temporal part of the fovea, between 2 groups.

Macular and choroidal thicknesses in long-term smokers were observed to be similar to those of healthy individuals.