Topographic profile of choroid in eyes after acute primary angle-closure

Objective: To characterize and compare the topographic profile of choroid in eyes after acute primary angle-closure (APAC) and in normal controls.

Design, setting, and participants: A prospective observational study was conducted. Forty-four consecutive patients who had experienced unilateral APAC that was resolved by treatment were recruited. Seventy age- and sex-matched normal individuals were recruited as controls.

Methods: Enhanced depth imaging-optical coherence tomography was used to measure choroidal thickness (CT) in 9 diffuse locations of macular region. The average CT was compared among each location in the APAC and control groups and between the same locations in the 2 groups.

Results: Variants of CT at different macular locations were found in both groups; it was greatest at subfoveal locations and spread thinner around them, to reach a significant decrease (all p ≤ 0.05) 3 mm away in all directions from the fovea except for the superior direction in normal controls (p = 0.472). Among the 4 directions, the superior had the thickest CT in both groups, followed by the temporal, inferior, and nasal directions in both groups, whereas the APAC had a thicker choroid profile at each location (all p < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that age, sex, anterior chamber depth, axial length, and spherical equivalent were all associated with the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) (all p < 0.1). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the SFCT was significantly thicker in association with an APAC diagnosis, shorter axial length, greater spherical equivalent refractive error, and younger female subjects (all p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusions: APAC eyes have a thicker choroid than normal eyes in the macular region, and the increase in CT in APAC eyes follows topographic distribution as in normal control eyes.