Choroidal Thickness in Open-angle Glaucoma.

PURPOSE

To examine choroidal thickness in open-angle glaucoma.

METHODS

The hospital-based case series study included a study group with patients with open-angle glaucoma and a control group. Choroidal thickness was measured by enhanced depth imaging by spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

RESULTS

The study group included 39 patients (71 eyes) and the control group consisted of 189 patients (228 eyes) with no significant difference between both groups in age (P=0.16) and refractive error (P=0.07). Choroidal thickness in the foveal region (P=0.18), at a distance of 1000 μm from the fovea (P=0.39), 2000 μm from the fovea (P=0.46), and 2500 μm from the fovea (P=0.53) did not vary significantly between both groups. In multivariable analysis with adjustment for age and refractive error, choroidal thickness at the fovea [P=0.12; regression coefficient B: minus-8.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): -19.3, 2.1], at a horizontal distance of 1000 μm from the fovea (P=0.30; regression coefficient B: -4.98; 95% CI: -14.3, 4.4), 2000 μm from the fovea (P=0.20; regression coefficient B: -20.9; 95% CI: -53.2, 11.3), and 2500 μm from the fovea (P=0.45; regression coefficient B: -2.70; 95% CI: -9.67, 4.27) was not significantly associated with the diagnosis of glaucoma. In binary regression analysis with adjustment for age and refractive error, presence of glaucoma was significantly associated neither with subfoveal choroidal thickness [P=0.12; odds ratio (OR): 0.997; 95% CI: 0.993, 1.001] nor with choroidal thickness at a horizontal distance of 1000 μm from the fovea (P=0.47; OR: 0.998; 95% CI: 0.993, 1.002), 2000 μm from the fovea (P=0.23; OR: 0.997; 95% CI: 0.993, 1.002), or 2500 μm from the fovea (P=0.46; OR: 0.998; 95% CI: 0.992, 1.004).

CONCLUSIONS

After adjusting for age and refractive error, open-angle glaucoma was not significantly associated with a marked thinning or a thickening of the choroid in the foveal and parafoveal region.