Subclinical ocular inflammation in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis

Objective: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the major finding of Behcet's disease as well as an inflammatory disease. We compared the choroidal thickness (CT) in patients with RAS with healthy volunteers. Methods: Patients with RAS (n = 34) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 34) were evaluated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). CT measurements were executed at 3 different points (subfoveal, nasal, and temporal). Laboratory parameters were determined for patients and controls. Results: The mean subfoveal CT in the RAS and control groups were 356.7 +/- 91.7 mm and 326.3 86.6 mm, respectively. The RAS group demonstrated significantly higher subfoveal CT than the control group (p = 0.008). Conclusion: This was the first reported study demonstrating a significantly higher subfoveal CT in patients with RAS. Further studies investigating the risk for subclinical ocular inflammation in this patient population are warranted.