The choroid and lamina cribrosa is affected in patients with Parkinson's disease: enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare lamina cribrosa (LC) and choroidal thicknesses using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls.


METHODS
A total number of 44 eyes of 22 patients with PD and 50 eyes of 25 healthy subjects were utilized in this institutional cross-sectional study. After a complete ophthalmic examination, all eyes were imaged with OCT (RTVue-100 version 5.1 Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography; Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA, USA); LC and choroidal thickness were assessed.


RESULTS
The mean LC thicknesses were 209.4 ± 40.2 μm in patients with PD and 292.5 ± 33.7 μm in control subjects. There was a significant difference in the mean LC thickness between the groups (p < 0.0001). The choroidal thickness measurements of the PD group at the subfoveal region and 1.5 mm temporal and 1.5 mm nasal to the fovea were 228.1 ± 44.3, 193.2 ± 41.4 and 188.4 ± 49.0 μm, respectively, whereas measurements for the controls were, respectively, 246.5 ± 38.2, 227.3 ± 34.7 and 216.7 ± 51.4 μm. The choroid was significantly thinner in eyes of the PD group compared to that of the controls (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.006). There was no significant correlation between the disease severity and OCT parameters. The duration of the disease showed a statistically significant negative correlation with LC (rs[94] = -0.700, p < 0.001), and average subfoveal and temporal and nasal choroid thicknesses (rs[94] = -0.282, p = 0.006; rs[94] = -0.324, p = 0.001, rs[94] = -0.240, and p = 0.020, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Regardless of the disease severity, PD may cause atrophy and volume loss in the lamina cribrosa, and choroid. An enhanced depth imaging technique may be used as an additional modality in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with PD.
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Muhsin
M
Eraslan
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Eren
E
Cerman
Igdir State Hospital, Igdir, Turkey.
Sevcan
S
Yildiz Balci
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Hande
H
Celiker
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ozlem
O
Sahin
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ahmet
A
Temel
Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Devran
D
Suer
Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Nese
N
Tuncer Elmaci
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity
Parkinson's disease; RNFL; choroidal thickness; enhanced depth imaging; lamina cribrosa; optical coherence tomography; retinal nerve fibre layer