Is there a change of corneal thickness in uveitis with Behçet disease?

PURPOSE: To report the measurements of central corneal thickness (CCT) in uveitic eyes with Behçet disease (BD) and compare it with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study included 69 eyes with ocular BD with no history of corneal disease, glaucoma, or ocular surgery and 50 eyes of healthy controls. Eyes with ocular BD were subdivided into active and inactive groups. Active group was defined as the presence of anterior uveitis or panuveitis, whereas inactive group was defined as having had at least 1 previous attack and absence of any active inflammation in the eye within the last 3 months. CCT was measured with ultrasonic pachymeter. Statistical analyses were performed, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Active group had 24 patients and inactive group had 45 patients. Demographic characteristics of patients with ocular BD and control subjects were similar (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in respect to the disease duration between active and inactive groups (P = 0.160). The mean CCT was significantly greater in active group (584.75 ± 20.94 μm) than in inactive group (540.55 ± 36.16 μm) and control group (543.04 ± 25.35 μm) (P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that eyes with active BD had increased CCT because of active inflammation when compared with inactive and control groups, and mean CCT of inactive BD was normal. Therefore, we assume that CCT is in normal range in the inactive phase, and recurrent uveitis does not lead to a permanent change in CCT in BD.