title: Peripapillary choroidal thickness by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography: the impact of metabolic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on the peripapillary choroidal thickness (PPCT) and to characterize the PPCT in a Portuguese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 104 eyes. Detailed medical and ophthalmic examinations were performed; the PPCT was measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) using enhanced depth imaging (EDI) modality. The PPCT changes with MetS, as well as with other clinical and demographic factors, were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean PPCT was 142.4 ± 54.0 µm (58-303 µm); it was thickest superiorly, followed by the temporal, nasal, and inferior sectors. The PPCT was significantly associated with axial length (p<0.001), age (p = 0.001), intraocular pressure (IOP) (p = 0.041), weight (p = 0.015), and arterial hypertension (p = 0.044). The presence of MetS was associated with thinner PPCT in all sectors, being statistically significant in the temporal (p = 0.032) and inferotemporal (p = 0.034) sectors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choroidal thickness was significantly less in temporal and inferotemporal sectors in patients with MetS than in controls. This may suggest vascular insufficiency around the optic nerve head.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de V. N. Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia - Portugal.|Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto - Portugal.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loureiro
authors.affiliation: ALGORITMI Centre, University of Minho, Braga - Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de V. N. Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia - Portugal.
authors.forename: Dália
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meira
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de V. N. Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia - Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sepúlveda
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar de V. N. Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia - Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Agrelos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto - Portugal.|Department of Ophthalmology, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto - Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology