Mapping Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Unilateral Nongranulomatous Acute Anterior Uveitis Using Three-Dimensional 1060-nm Optical Coherence Tomography.

Overview

abstract

PURPOSE: To analyze retinal thickness (RT) and choroidal thickness (ChT) changes in patients with unilateral nongranulomatous acute anterior uveitis (AAU) using three-dimensional (3D) 1060-nm optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: Retinal and choroidal thickness maps were statistically analyzed for 24 patients with newly diagnosed unilateral AAU before therapy. A total of 17 patients were followed until resolution of inflammatory activity (twice in the first week, then weekly). Resolution occurred in all subjects within 6 weeks after the initial diagnosis. After resolution, thickness maps were again generated. All patients were imaged by high-speed spectral-domain (SD) 3D 1060-nm OCT over a 10 × 10-mm field of view. The spatial distribution of retinal and choroidal thickness was mapped and analyzed using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid. RESULTS: The choroid was significantly thicker in eyes affected by AAU than in fellow eyes before therapy with a mean thickness difference of 37 ± 11.44 μm (mean ± SD, Bonferroni correction, α = 0.0125). Following therapy, ChT significantly decreased with a mean change of 24 ± 6.9 μm (mean ± SD, Bonferroni correction, α = 0.0125). There was no significant difference in RT between AAU and fellow eyes before therapy or in AAU eyes before and after therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Eyes affected by AAU demonstrate an increase in ChT before and a subsequent decrease after therapy while retinal thickness seems unaltered by disease and therapy. ChT might be a useful biomarker in monitoring posterior involvement and response to therapy in patients with AAU.