title: Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography of Choroidal and Outer Retinal Layer Thickness in the Sturge Weber Syndrome.
abstract: To evaluate choroidal thickness and its effect on the outer retinal layers in patients with Sturge Weber syndrome (SWS).
  
  
  
  Twenty eyes of 10 patients with SWS and 20 eyes of 10 healthy controls were evaluated at the ophthalmology unit of the Umberto I Policlinic, Rome from December 2015 to May 2015. Manual segmentation measurements of choroidal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-photorec eptor layer (PHL) thickness were performed at the subfovea and at 500 µm intervals over 3 mm-long horizontal and vertical segments using enhanced depth spectral domain optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  
  Mean choroidal thickness of the affected (561.6 µm ± 208.8) and fellow eyes (322.0 µm ± 56.6) of patients with SWS was significantly higher with respect to controls (266.5 µm ± 48.5 µm), p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively. Mean RPE-PHL thickness was significantly lower in both the affected and fellow eyes of patients with respect to controls (p = 0.039 and p = 0.025, respectively).
  
  
  
  The choroid is thickened in patients with SWS, but the RPE-PHL is thinner. Choroidal thickening may lead to functional impairment causing disruption in the fine equilibrium between the choroid and retina and consequent outer retinal layer thinning.
authors.affiliation: a Ophthalmology Unit, DAI Head/Neck, Umberto I Policlinic, University of Rome "Sapienza" , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Solmaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdolrahimzadeh
authors.affiliation: b Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Sense Organs , University of Rome "Sapienza" , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Scavella
authors.affiliation: c Infantile Neuropsychiatry Unit, Catholic University of Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.affiliation: d Ophthalmology Unit, St. Andrea Hospital, NESMOS Department , University of Rome "Sapienza" , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Santi Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Recupero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055214:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment / Q000473:pathology*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology*; D013341:Sturge-Weber Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity
keywords: Choroid; Sturge Weber syndrome; enhanced depth imaging; retinal pigment epithelium-photoreceptor layer; spectral domain optical coherence tomography