Regional Changes in Choroidal Thickness in Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion

To assess regional changes in choroidal thickness in the affected temporal hemifield of eyes with branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) compared to the unaffected temporal hemifield of the same eye and to fellow eyes.

Six eyes of six patients with unilateral BRAO with fellow eyes serving as controls. Using optical coherence tomography, choroidal thickness was measured at 49 points and averaged for each hemifield.

In BRAO eyes, choroidal thickness was greater in the affected hemifield (209.5 µm ± 13.9 µm) compared to the unaffected hemifield (181.3 µm ± 8.9 µm; P = .001). In fellow-eyes, there was no difference between the two hemifields (180.3 µm ± 18.1 µm vs. 193.7 µm ± 16 µm; P = .39). The choroid was thicker in the affected BRAO eye hemifield compared to the corresponding fellow eye hemifield (209.5 µm ± 13.9 µm vs. 180.3 µm ± 18.1 µm; P = .01), whereas no difference was observed among unaffected BRAO eye hemifield and corresponding fellow eye hemifield (181.3 µm ± 8.9 µm vs. 193.7 µm ± 16 µm; P = .1). Subfoveal choroidal thickness between BRAO and fellow eyes was similar (185.5 µm ± 25.7 µm vs. 194.5 µm ± 20.8 µm; P = .4).

The choroid was 15.6% thicker in the affected hemifield of BRAO eyes compared to the unaffected hemifield of same eye and 16.2% thicker than the corresponding hemifield in fellow eyes. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:811-818.].