Measurement of subfoveal choroidal thickness after cataract surgery in enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To compare subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) before and after uneventful cataract surgery using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted on 115 eyes of 95 patients who had phacoemulsification. Measurements of SFCT were performed preoperatively, 1 day (D1), 7 days (D7), 1 month (M1), and 3 months (M3) after surgery using the EDI-OCT technique. Central retinal thickness (CRT) was measured before surgery and at M1 and M3.

RESULTS

The 95 patients had a mean age of 76 ± 8.3 years. The mean SFCT at baseline was 224 ± 75 μm. It showed a negative correlation with age and axial length (P = 0.03). The SFCT significantly increased after surgery with a mean value of 232 ± 76 μm at D1 (P < 0.001), 237 ± 78 μm at M1 (P < 0.001), and 232 ± 76 μm at M3 (P < 0.001). The mean CRT increased from 234 ± 48 μm at baseline to 248 ± 48 μm at M1 (P = 0.005), and 252 ± 81 μm at M3 (P = 0.001). Three (2.6%) patients developed a pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME). The greatest progression of SFCT after phacoemulsification was observed for these patients. It preceded the occurrence of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) by 1 month.

CONCLUSIONS

Mean SFCT increased after cataract surgery. The changes in baseline SFCT were greater in PCME patients and preceded the increase in CRT.