title: Alterations of Choroidal Thickness With Diabetic Neuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of diabetic polyneuropathy on choroidal thickness in type 2 diabetes patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) patients with no or mild retinopathy, 50 non-DPN diabetic patients with no or mild retinopathy, and 42 healthy controls without any retinal complaint were included in the study. All participants underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations. Choroidal thickness (CT) measurements were performed by the same independent technician in the morning between 9 and 11 AM to avoid diurnal variations. Perpendicular CT was measured from the outer edge of the hyperreflective retinal pigment epithelium to the inner sclera at seven locations: the fovea; and 500, 1000, and 1500 μm temporally and nasally to the fovea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The groups were age and sex matched (P > 0.05). The mean subfoveal CT values were significantly different in groups with a thickening trend from control to non-DPN and DPN (P < 0.01). The mean values for subfoveal CT in control, non-DPN, and DPN groups were 241.12 ± 52.71, 279.82 ± 51.42, and 304.71 ± 54.92 μm, respectively. The same thickening trend was also evident in all other six measurement points with statistical significance (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetic patients had increased CT compared to healthy controls. The presence of neuropathy in diabetes patients caused additional choroidal thickening, compared to nonneuropathic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sogutlu Sari
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rabia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koc
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gozde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ulucanlar Eye Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pinar Cakar
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ozdal
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Balikesir University School of Medicine, Balikesir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sitki Samet
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ermis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D009929:Organ Size; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence