Diurnal macular choroidal area fluctuation in normal and primary open angle glaucoma groups

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma Research
• Choroidal Imaging

Background:

• Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
• Understanding diurnal variations in ocular structures is crucial for glaucoma management.
• The choroid, a vascular layer, may be affected by glaucoma and diurnal changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare diurnal macular choroidal area fluctuations in normal eyes versus eyes with POAG.
• To investigate the relationship between diurnal choroidal changes and POAG using advanced imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

• Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) was employed.
• Macular choroidal area was measured every 3 hours from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• 28 normal eyes and 27 POAG eyes were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant diurnal fluctuations in macular choroidal area were observed in both normal and POAG groups.
• No significant differences in macular choroidal area were found between normal and POAG groups at any measurement time point.
• Neither the fluctuation patterns nor the magnitude of change in macular choroidal area differed significantly between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Macular choroidal area exhibits significant diurnal variation in both healthy individuals and POAG patients.
• POAG does not present with significantly different macular choroidal area values or fluctuation patterns compared to normal eyes.
• These findings suggest that diurnal choroidal changes may not be a distinguishing factor in POAG.