title: Evaluation of peripapillary choroidal thickness in patients with normal-tension glaucoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare peripapillary choroidal thickness measurements between normal and normal-tension glaucoma eyes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional comparative study. 50 normal and 52 normal-tension glaucoma subjects were enrolled in the study. Peripapillary choroidal thickness was measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and enhanced depth imaging. After obtaining circular B-scans around the disc, choroidal thicknesses were calculated based on the exported segmentation values. Visual fields were measured using automated perimetry. Difference in peripapillary choroidal thickness between the normal subjects and the patients with normal-tension glaucoma was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in age, axial length, or refraction between the two groups. Peripapillary choroidal thickness was inversely correlated with age in both the normal (r = -0.287, P = 0.04) and normal and normal-tension glaucoma (r = -0.322, P = 0.02) groups. Peripapillary choroidal thickness of inferonasal (125 vs 148 μm, P < 0.05), inferior (101 vs 122 μm, P < 0.05), or inferotemporal (100 vs 127 μm, P < 0.05) regions were significantly thinner in the normal-tension glaucoma group as compared to normal subjects. Superior visual hemifield defect was significantly worse than inferior visual hemifield defect in normal and normal-tension glaucoma patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As compared to normal subjects, peripapillary choroidal thickness was significantly thinner in the normal and normal-tension glaucoma patients, at least in some locations.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Kagawa University Faculty of Medicine, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan. kazuyk@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp
authors: Kazuyuki
authors: K
authors: Hirooka
authors: Kaori
authors: K
authors: Tenkumo
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Baba
authors: Shino
authors: S
authors: Sato
authors: Fumio
authors: F
authors: Shiraga
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014794:Visual Fields