Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Patients with Uveitis

Purpose: To study retinal thickness (RT) and choroidal thickness (CT) in patients with inactive uveitis. We also investigated the correlation between RT and CT and the duration and frequency of inflammation and visual acuity in patients with inactive uveitis. Methods: One-hundred and forty-eight eyes from 97 patients (mean age 51.0 +/- 15.7 years) and 98 eyes from 55 normal subjects (mean age 59.3 +/- 14.4 years) were studied. Routine ophthalmic examination included spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging of the retina and choroid. CT was measured from the outer border of the retinal pigment epithelium to the inner scleral border at 500-mu m intervals of the horizontal section between 2.5 mm temporal and 2.5 mm nasal to the fovea. RT was measured between the inner limiting membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium. Results: Mean subfoveal RT did not differ significantly between uveitis patients and controls. Mean CT at multiple locations was significantly lower in patients with uveitis compared to normal subjects; this difference was most significant at the fovea (uveitis group, 229 +/- 85 mu m vs. control group, 276 +/- 74 mu m; p < 0.001). Only CT was associated with duration and frequency of inflammation in patients with anterior uveitis (r = -0.298, p = 0.008; r = -0.349, p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: CT is reduced in patients with inactive uveitis and is associated with disease duration and frequency whereas RT does not seem to be affected by disease processes.