Choroidal Vascularity Index and Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Rheumatoid Arthritis Assessed with Enhanced-Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT).

METHODS

The study included 56 eyes of 56 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 65 eyes of 65 age- and sex-matched healthy normal participants. CVIs of all participants were measured by transferring enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) images to the image J program that is software used for image binarization and compared between the 2 groups. SFCT, central macular thickness (CMT) and optic disc parameters of all participants were measured with spectral domain OCT and compared.

RESULTS

The mean CVI values of the RA and control groups were 65.9 ± 1.52 and 68.56 ± 1.62, respectively, and were significantly lower in the RA group (p = 0.001). Mean SFCT values of the RA and control groups were 290.11 ± 15.18 and 332.88 ± 11.04, respectively, and SFCT was significantly lower in the RA group (p = 0.001). RA patients have thin SFCT and low CVI. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of CMT and optic disc parameters.

CONCLUSION

RA patients have lower CVI and thinner SFCT than healthy participants.