An investigation on optic nerve head involvement in Fuchs uveitis syndrome using optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography.

Abstract

To investigate optic nerve head involvement in patients with Fuchs uveitis syndrome (FUS). Optic nerve head of 43 FUS eyes without clinical optic disc edema and 37 unaffected fellow eyes were evaluated using optical coherence tomography (OCT) of peripapillary retina and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and fundus fluorescein angiography. Seventy-one percent of FUS eyes showed optic nerve head hyperfluorescence. The mean average RNFL thickness in FUS eyes was 115.0 ± 11.9μm, which was thicker than unaffected eyes (103.0 ± 10.7μm, p < 0.001). Mean average of peripapillary retinal thicknesses in FUS eyes was also greater than unaffected eyes (p < 0.001). In addition, RNFL and peripapillary retinal thicknesses in FUS eyes without optic nerve hyperfluorescence were thicker than unaffected eyes (all p = < 0.001). OCT demonstrates peripapillary total retinal and nerve fiber layer thickening in FUS eyes without clinical swelling of optic disc that is not always associated with optic nerve head leakage.