Título

CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN EYES WITH BAND ATROPHY OF THE OPTIC NERVE FROM CHIASMAL COMPRESSION

Objetivo

Choroidal thickness has previously been studied in diseases accompanied by retinal neural loss, but their relationship is not clear. In patients with chiasm compressive lesions, retinal neural loss tends to be greater in the nasal than the temporal hemiretina, a fact which may be useful in the evaluation of the effect of inner retinal layer loss on choroidal thickness. This study aims to evaluate macular and peripapillary choroidal thickness in eyes with temporal hemianopia from chiasmal compression and healthy controls (CT).

Método

Thirty-three eyes from 26 patients with band atrophy of the optic nerve and temporal visual field defects from previously treated suprasellar tumors(CCL group) and 40 eyes from 21 CT underwent swept-source optical coherence tomography scanning. The thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(pRNFL), peripapillary choroid(pChoroid), macular RNFL(mRNFL), macular ganglion cell layer(mGCL), and macular choroid(mChoroid) was expressed globally and by sector (peripapillary quadrants and macular hemifield and quadrants). Ratios between macular nasal and temporal hemifield and quadrantic measurements were calculated using generalized estimated equation models, and the groups were compared.

Resultado

pRNFL, mRNFL, and mGCC thickness were significantly smaller in the CCL group. As for the choroid, the only difference between the groups was increased macular nasal hemifield and superonasal quadrant thickness in CCL. The temporal/nasal ratios were significantly higher for mRNFL and mGCC and significantly lower for mChoroid in the CCL group, except for the superotemporal/superonasal quadrant ratio (Table 1).

Conclusão

The choroid does not thin following inner retinal layer damage due to CCL and may even be thicker in some areas with corresponding severe retinal neural loss. While further studies are necessary to interpret these findings, choroidal thinning is most likely not secondary to inner retinal neural loss from optic nerve diseases.