Choroidal thickness measurements in children with isolated growth hormone deficiency

PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the choroidal thickness measurement values in cases with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD), to compare them with the healthy control group by using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT), and to evaluate the effect of growth hormone (GH) treatment on choroid.Patients and methodsIn this study, 23 cases who were diagnosed with IGHD as a study group and 46 healthy subjects as a control group were included. All patients and controls underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including an examination with EDI-OCT. Choroidal thickness (CT) was measured at the fovea and at 1000 μm intervals from the foveal center in both temporal and nasal directions.ResultsThe mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was 329.04±88.49 μm in the cases with IGHD and 365.35±50.48 μm in the control group (P=0.033). The mean CT at temporal 1 and 2 mm were thinner in the IGHD group than that of control group (P=0.033 and P=0.043, respectively). Nasal quadrant measurements were also found to be thinner in the IGHD cases than that of control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. We found a significant positive correlation between pubertal staging and SFCT (r_s=0.607, P=0.006). There was no statistically significant difference in CT values of the study group between before and 12 months after GH treatment (P>0.05).ConclusionThis study shows patients with IGHD has a thinner CT when compared with healthy pediatric cases. GH treatment seems to be not associated with the choroidal development.