Choroidal Vascular Characteristics in Subclinical Cushing Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study using Enhanced Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography and Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential choroidal vascular changes in newly diagnosed subclinical Cushing syndrome (SCS) patients and to assess whether choroidal parameters correlate with hormonal parameters.

METHODS

Twenty-one right eyes of 21 patients with SCS and 22 right eyes of 22 healthy individuals were included in the study. Results of the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test, basal cortisol, basal adrenocorticotropic hormone, and 24-h urine-free cortisol levels were recorded from the patient files. Choroidal thicknesses (CTs) were measured from the subfoveal, 500 μm nasal, and 500 μm temporal quadrants with enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography (OCT). The ImageJ program calculated the choroidal vascularity index (CVI). The choriocapillaris (CC) flow area was evaluated with OCT-angiography. The primary outcome measure was the CVI.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in subfoveal, nasal, or temporal CT between groups (P > 0.05). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between the SCS group and the control group in terms of total choroidal area, luminal area, stromal area, and CVI values (P = 0.827, P = 0.466, P = 0.343, and P = 0.065, respectively). The mean difference in subfoveal CVI between the groups was -1.78 (95% confidence interval: -3.8-0.2). No statistical difference was found between the SCS and control groups in terms of CC flow area, with a radius of 1, 2, and 3 mm (P > 0.05). No statistically significant correlation was detected between the examined choroidal and biochemical parameters (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

According to the results of this study, subclinical hormonal changes in newly diagnosed SCS patients do not affect choroidal vascular status.