title: Noninvasive assessment of the retina and the choroid using enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography shows microvascular impairments in childhood obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the retinal vascular diameters and macular and subfoveal choroidal thicknesses of obese and nonobese children using enhanced-depth imaging spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD-OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  The retinal vascular diameters of the 4 largest retinal arterioles and venules and macular and subfoveal choroidal thickness measurements of 40 obese children (body mass index [BMI] z score above +2.0 standard deviations) were obtained by EDI SD-OCT and compared with those of 40 age- and sex-matched nonobese children. Anthropometric measures, including weight and height, were also obtained. BMI z score was defined using standardized protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean BMI z scores of obese children were 2.59 ± 0.62; of nonobese children, -0.20 ± 0.92. The mean diameter of retinal arterioles was significantly smaller (P = 0.002) in obese children compared to nonobese children, whereas the mean diameter of retinal venules was larger (P = 0.008). The macular and subfoveal choroidal thicknesses were significantly thinner (P = 0.031 and 0.014, resp.) in obese children compared to nonobese children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The narrower retinal arterioles, wider retinal venules, and thinner macular and subfoveal choroidal thicknesses in obese children seem to be associated with microvascular impairments in childhood obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey. Electronic address: isersan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erşan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aylanç
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selcuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arikan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Baran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gencer
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University School of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Ali
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Tufan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology