Optic disc, macula and ganglion cell layer measurements obtained with optical coherence tomography in patients with thyroid disorder

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare retinal nerve layer thickness, central macula thickness and ganglion cell layer measurements using optical coherence tomography (OCT) between thyroid patients and age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
 Materials and Methods: Eighty eyes of 80 patients in the thyroid patient group and 48 eyes of 48 patients in the control group were included in the study. After evaluating the exclusion criteria, visual acuity, anterior segment biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure, fundoscopy and spectral field optic coherence tomography (SF-OCT) imaging tests were performed on all patients included in the study. These data have been recorded. Central macular thickness (CMT), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) measurements were evaluated by statistical methods for both groups.
 Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the demographic data of the groups included in the study. IOP measurements were found to be statistically significantly higher in the patient group compared to the control group. CMT values were 258.2±16.1 µm in the patient group and 273.1±23.8 µm in the control group, and statistically significant differences were observed between the groups. 
 Conclusion: The findings supports that changes in the optic nerve and macula develop before vision loss in TO patients compared to the healthy control group. We can follow TO patients more objectively and reliably and make treatment planning more accurately by adding OCT, which is a noninvasive test, to our clinical practice, since structural changes develop before functional deterioration in TO patients.