title: Evaluation of the Choroid, Fovea, and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on choroid, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and foveal thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with RA and forty-one healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. The subfoveal, perifoveal choroidal, RNFL, and foveal thicknesses were measured by spectral domain OCT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean subfoveal, nasal, and temporal choroidal thicknesses in RA individuals were significantly higher than those in the control group (p ˂ 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the RA and healthy group regarding RNFL and foveal thickness (p ˃ 0.05). A significant correlation was found between rheumatoid factor (RF) and the subfoveal temporal choroidal thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Choroidal thickness in RA patients was higher than that in healthy participants. Choroidal thickening showed a positive correlation with RF, which may be an indicator for systemic vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: a Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tetikoglu
authors.affiliation: b Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Temizturk
authors.affiliation: a Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Haci Murat
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sagdik
authors.affiliation: a Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aktas
authors.affiliation: c Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozcura
authors.affiliation: b Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.affiliation: b Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Dumlupinar University School of Medicine , Kutahya , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Temizturk
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002829:Choroid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor
keywords: Choroidal thickness; enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography; rheumatoid arthritis; vasculitis