title: CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN INFANTS WITH RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate choroidal thickness in premature infants and its relationship with stage of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging for measuring subfoveal choroidal thickness was performed for 80 premature infants. Subfoveal choroidal thickness was defined as the distance from the hyperreflective line of the outermost retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to the innermost hyperreflective line of the choroidoscleral junction. Each measurement was performed at the central fovea (CF) and 0.75 mm to 1.5 mm nasal (N1 and N2) and temporal (T1 and T2) to the fovea. Subfoveal choroidal thickness and grading of cystoid macular edema (CME) were analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Choroidal thickness of CF was found to be significantly greater than nasal (N1 and N2) and temporal (T1 and T2) choroidal thickness (P < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between stage of ROP and nasal (N1 and N2) choroidal thickness (P = 0.057, P = 0.282, respectively). However, CF and temporal (T1 and T2) choroidal thickness was found to be significantly lower at a higher stage of ROP (P = 0.005, P = 0.01 and P = 0.001). No significant relationship was found between subfoveal choroidal thickness and the grades of cystoid macular edema (P > 0.05). The choroidal thickness of CF was found to be correlated with birth weight (r = 0.267, P = 0.017) but not birth week (r = 0.140, P = 0.217). Maximum stage of ROP was found to be negatively correlated with choroidal thickness, at N1, T1, and T2 (r < -0.250, P < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The subfoveal choroid in premature infants can be effectively evaluated using a portable SD-OCT device. Choroidal thickness gets thinner with the severity of ROP and the decrease is more prominent at the central and temporal location. Cystoid macular edema is not correlated with choroidal thickness in premature infants.
authors.affiliation: *Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Ophthalmology Department, Antalya, Turkey; and †Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Training and Research Hospital, Ophthalmology Department, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muhammet Kazim
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: Deniz Turgut
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Coban
authors.forename: Ozdemir
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Zuhal Ozen
authors.initials: ZO
authors.lastname: Tunay
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulut
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence