IMPORTANCE OF CHOROIDAL THICKNESS MEASUREMENT IN PATIENTS WITH SUBMACULAR NEOVASCULAR MEMBRANE

Abstract

Purpose. The research aim is to estimate choroidal thickness in eyes with submacular neovascular membrane (SNM) compared with the thickness of fellow eyes.Material and methods. The study group included 72 patients with monolateral SNM (72 eyes). The fellow eye served as a control. The average age of patients was 50.6±11.7 years. Seventy two eyes were emmetropic, 46 eyes – with mild and moderate myopia, 26 eyes – with high myopia. All eyes underwent the SPECTRALIS HRA+OCT (Heidelberg Engineering,Germany) examination. Choroidal thickness was analyzed using the Enhanced Depth Imagi ng (EDI) mode.Results. Analysis of the results of the OCT Enhanced Depth Imaging (EDI) showed a reduced choroidal thickness in eyes with SNM. The average choroidal thickness in this group was 234.2±47.7 microns in emmetropic refraction and 184.3±56.5 microns in eyes with myopic refraction. The average thickness of the choroid in 72 fellow eyes (without SNM) was 256.3±48.6 microns in emmetropic eyes and 206.6±55.0 microns in myopic eyes.Conclusion. In eyes with SNM the choroidal thickness was less compared with the choroidal thickness of the fellow eyes. The OCT EDI of posterior segment of the eye should be performed in all patients with degenerative ocular disease for an early diagnosis of SNM formation and development.

Keywords

• submacular neovascular membrane
• optical coherence tomography
• choroidal thickness