Choroidal thickness changes after dynamic exercise as measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Purpose:

To measure the choroidal thickness (CT) after dynamic exercise by using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

Materials and Methods:

A total of 19 healthy participants performed 10 min of low-impact, moderate-intensity exercise (i.e., riding a bicycle ergometer) and were examined with EDI-OCT. Each participant was scanned before exercise and afterward at 5 min and 15 min. CT measurement was taken at the fovea and 1000 μ away from the fovea in the nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior regions. Retinal thickness, intraocular pressure, ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), heart rate, and mean blood pressure (mBP) were also measured.

Results:

A significant increase occurred in OPP and mBP at 5 min and 15 min following exercise (P ˂ 0.05). The mean subfoveal CT at baseline was 344.00 ± 64.71 μm compared to 370.63 ± 66.87 μm at 5 min and 345.31 ± 63.58 μm at 15 min after exercise. CT measurements at all locations significantly increased at 5 min following exercise compared to the baseline (P ˂ 0.001), while measurements at 15 min following exercise did not significant differ compared to the baseline (P ˃ 0.05). There was no significant difference in retinal thickness at any location before and at 5 min and 15 min following exercise (P ˃ 0.05).

Conclusion:

Findings revealed that dynamic exercise causes a significant increase in CT for at least 5 min following exercise.

A quantitative evaluation of the posterior segment of the eye using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in carotid artery stenosis: a pilot study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the posterior segment of the eye using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospective study enrolling 25 patients with ICA stenosis (study group) and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals (control group). Macular choroidal thickness (CT) was measured at the fovea; other CT measurements were taken 1,000 µm away from the fovea in the nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior regions by enhanced-depth imaging OCT (EDI-OCT). The thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macula, and ganglion cell complex (GCC) were measured with SD-OCT. Correlations between the CT values and the degree of ICA stenosis were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Mean macular CT values in the study group were significantly thinner than those of the control groups for all quadrants (P < .05). There was no significant correlation between the degree of ICA stenosis and the CT values. Moreover, the mean thicknesses of the RNFL, macula, and GCC did not differ between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that CT decreases in patients with ICA stenosis compared with age-matched healthy individuals, whereas the RNFL, macular, and GCC thicknesses are comparable.

Ocular complications of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a important health problem that induces ernestful complications and it causes significant morbidity owing to specific microvascular complications such as, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy, and macrovascular complications such as, ischaemic heart disease, and peripheral vasculopathy. It can affect children, young people and adults and is becoming more common. Ocular complications associated with DM are progressive and rapidly becoming the world’s most significant cause of morbidity and are preventable with early detection and timely treatment. This review provides an overview of five main ocular complications associated with DM, diabetic retinopathy and papillopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and ocular surface diseases.