Decreased retinal nerve fiber and choroidal thickness in chronic rhinosinusitis

The assessment of the retina and choroid of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), via spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), was aimed in this study. We proposed that chronic upper airway restriction caused by chronic sinusitis could deteriorate the retinal and choroid morphology.

This prospective controlled study included a total of 90 eyes of 90 patients, 30 of whom were CRS with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), 30 of whom were CRS without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) and 30 of whom were healthy controls (HC). Only the right eye of the patients were evaluated. All patients underwent full otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmologic examinations, including SD-OCT.

Average retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and RNFL in superior and inferior quadrants were measured significantly lower in CRS patients compared to HC. Ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in all sectors was thinner in patients with CRS than in HC with significantly lower values in all sectors except inferior. Mean average GCIPL thickness and GCIPL thickness in the inferior sector were significantly lower in CRSwNP than CRSsNP patients.

CRS may lead to thinning in the choroidal thickness, RNFL thickness, especially in the superior and inferior quadrants and GCIPL thickness, presumably related with hypoxia, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and vascular dysregulation. Ocular manifestations of the CRS should be taken in the consideration during the management of this disease.