Morphologic choroidal and scleral changes at the macula in tilted disc syndrome with staphyloma using optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the macular choroidal and scleral changes in tilted disc syndrome (TDS) with staphyloma using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to determine the mechanism of serous retinal detachment (SRD) formation.

METHODS

All eyes underwent fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in this retrospective, observational study. Enhanced-depth imaging (EDI) OCT and prototype high-penetration (HP) OCT were used to examine the choroid and sclera, respectively, at the upper and lower optical areas and the subfovea on vertical OCT sections.

RESULTS

Twenty-four eyes with TDS with inferior staphyloma were included. FA showed the macular area with the superior edge of staphyloma had a granular hyperfluorescent pattern and ICGA showed belt-like hypofluorescence. OCT showed SRDs in seven eyes. The mean EDI-OCT choroidal thicknesses in 19 eyes were: upper area, 211 ± 79 μm; subfovea, 153 ± 70 μm; and lower area, 158 ± 42 μm. The mean subfoveal and lower choroid were significantly (P < 0.01 for both) thinner than the upper area. The mean HP-OCT scleral thicknesses in 14 eyes were: upper area, 414 ± 36 μm; subfovea, 493 ± 40 μm; and lower area, 398 ± 83 μm. The subfoveal sclera was significantly (P < 0.01) thicker than the others.

CONCLUSIONS

The subfoveal choroid was relatively thin and the subfoveal sclera thickened in TDS with a staphyloma edge at the macula. The area with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) atrophy was hyperfluorescent on FA; choriocapillaris occlusion was hypofluorescent on ICGA. Characteristic anatomic subfoveal scleral alterations might lead to a thinner choroid and inhibit chorioscleral outflow; a secondary RPE disorder subsequently could cause SRDs.