Macular choroidal thickness in non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy

Abstract

ObjectiveTo analyze macular choroidal thickness (MCT) in non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Materials and methodsAn analysis was made on 22 patients diagnosed with NAION (22 eyes) and 42 healthy controls (42 eyes) using enhanced-depth imaging of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. A horizontal raster scan centered on the fovea was obtained per eye 3 months after the onset of NAION. Three measurements of MCT were obtained from the posterior edge of the retinal pigment epithelium to the choroid-sclera junction at 500μm intervals. Statistical analysis was used to compare the mean MCT and to correlate MCT with other ocular and systemic parameters. ResultsExcept for refractive error (p=.01), there were no statistically significant differences between both groups in axial length (p=.53), age (p=.88) and other epidemiological and ocular parameters. Mean MCT in NAION eyes and control group was 236.21±63.29μm and 269.13±52.28, respectively. Mean MCT was significantly thinner in NAION eyes than in healthy eyes (p=.03). Thinner MCT, adjusted for refractive error, was associated with the diagnosis of NAION (p=.04). ConclusionsEyes affected by NAION showed significantly thinner MCT compared with healthy control eyes after adjusting for refractive error.