Choroidal thickness in traumatic optic neuropathy

• Published in: Current eye research 2017-12, Vol.42 (12), p.1628-1633
• Main Authors: Lee, Ju-Yeun, Eo, Doo-ri, Park, Kyung-Ah, Oh, Sei Yeul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Choroid; Choroid - diagnostic imaging; Choroid - pathology; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Optic Nerve Injuries - diagnostic imaging; Optic Nerve Injuries - pathology; Organ Size; Pilot Projects; Retrospective Studies; spectral-domain optical coherence tomography; Tomography, Optical Coherence - methods; traumatic optic neuropathy; Vision Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Vision Disorders - pathology; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - diagnostic imaging; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - pathology
• ISSN: 0271-3683; 1460-2202
• DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2017.1358374

Purpose: To examine the choroidal thickness in patients with indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) Methods: Patients with unilateral traumatic optic neuropathy over a period of 4 years were included in this study. Horizontal and vertical enhanced-depth imaging (EDI) from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scans of the fovea were obtained in patients with unilateral TON within 2 weeks of injury. The main outcome measure was the choroidal thickness at nine locations. The choroidal thickness was compared between affected and unaffected eyes in the TON group, and the mean difference in the choroidal thickness in both eyes was compared between TON and control groups. Results: A total of 16 patients and 20 control subjects were included. The choroidal thickness at horizontal, vertical and average subfoveal, inner temporal, and outer inferior locations was significantly thicker (13-23%) in affected eyes than in unaffected fellow eyes (p = 0.042, 0.046, 0.024, 0.013, 0.018, and 0.027, respectively). The mean difference value between choroidal thickness measurements in both eyes was significantly larger in the TON group than in the control group at the horizontal, vertical and average subfoveal, inner temporal, inner nasal, inner superior, inner inferior, and outer superior locations (p = 0.001, 0.011,  0.05). Conclusion: Eyes affected by TON showed a regionally thicker choroid than unaffected fellow eye. This thick choroid might be due to impaired blood circulation and vascular remodeling of the optic nerve head and choroid. These results help to better understand the pathophysiology of TON.