Choroidal and macular thickness in nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy
Reviewed by Claire Howard

This study evaluates the choroidal and macular thickness in patients with chronic nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION). Two groups of subjects were compared, group one included 20 eyes with chronic NA-AION and group two, 31 healthy control eyes. The control group was demographically similar to the affected group. In both groups, choroidal and macular thickness was measured using the enhanced depth imaging program of Heidelberg Spectralis® optical coherence tomography. Macular thickness was found to be reduced in eyes that had an episode of NA-AION. Choroidal thickness was found to generally be higher in affected eyes compared to healthy controls. This increase in choroidal thickness was attributed by the authors to a local dysfunction in vascular autoregulatory mechanisms. The results show a change in choroidal thickness with chronic NA-AION. Future studies are required to test the potential of these findings for the future identification of patients at risk of this devastating eye condition, or in the follow-up of identified patients.

Choroidal thickness in nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy: a study with optical coherence tomography.
Dias-Santos A, Ferreira J, Abegao Pinto L, et al.
NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY
2014;38(4):173-80.