Choroidal thickness in psoriasis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Dermatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with potential systemic manifestations.
• Ocular involvement in psoriasis is recognized, but choroidal changes require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare choroidal thickness between psoriasis patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate the correlation between psoriasis disease duration, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, and choroidal thickness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized enhanced depth imaging spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-SD-OCT) for choroidal thickness measurements.
• Evaluated 38 psoriasis patients and 38 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, measuring the left eye.
• Measurements were taken at subfovea and horizontally across the fovea at 500-μm intervals up to 1500 μm temporal and nasal to the fovea.

Main Results:

• Choroidal thickness in psoriasis patients was marginally greater than in controls, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
• A positive correlation was observed between psoriasis disease duration and choroidal thickness at specific measurement points.
• No significant correlation was found between the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score and choroidal thickness.

Conclusions:

• While overall choroidal thickness did not significantly differ between psoriasis patients and controls, disease duration appears to be a relevant factor.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the relationship between psoriasis, disease duration, and potential ocular microvascular changes.