title: Optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis of scleritis and episcleritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in eyes with active anterior scleritis and compare the findings to those with episcleritis and normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective evaluation of a diagnostic test.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included a total of 30 eyes of 30 patients with unilateral anterior scleral or episcleral inflammation. The contralateral 30 eyes with no active ocular disease served as controls. OCT was performed over the anterior sclera in the inflamed area on all cases. The OCT images were analyzed to determine the thickness of the sclera and the presence or absence of scleral hyporeflective areas representing intrascleral edema.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 17 male and 13 female patients. The mean age was 43 years with an age range of 21-77 years. Eighteen patients had anterior scleritis and 12 patients had episcleritis. The mean transconjunctival scleral thickness was 747 μm (SD ± 68.97) with a range of 616-877 μm in normal eyes, 882 μm (SD ± 87.35) with a range of 773-1089 μm in patients with scleritis, and 825 μm (SD ± 85.57) with a range of 718-949 μm in patients with episcleritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with active anterior scleritis showed increased thickness of the sclera and presence of intrascleral hyporeflective areas of edema by OCT compared to patients with episcleritis and normal eyes. OCT adds both qualitative and quantitative information to diagnosis and monitoring of patients with scleritis.
authors.affiliation: The Eye Center and the Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: samir.shawki@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Samir S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shoughy
authors.affiliation: The Eye Center and the Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mahmoud O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Jaroudi
authors.affiliation: King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kozak
authors.affiliation: The Eye Center and the Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; The Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Khalid F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Tabbara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012590:Sclera / Q000473:pathology*; D015423:Scleritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D055815:Young Adult