title: Choroidal Thickness Changes in Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Effects of Short-term Hydroxychloroquine Treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to evaluate choroidal thickness (CT) in patients with rheumatoid artritis (RA) and the effects of short-term hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty RA patients (group 1) and 30 normal subjects (group 2) were enrolled in the study. Group 1 was further divided into two subgroups as follows: group 1A (Before HCQ treatment) and group 1B (1 year after HCQ treatment). The CTs were measured using optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) (µm) was 335.70 ± 64.58 in group 1A, 341.85 ± 63.95 in group 1B, and 358.51 ± 63.83 in group 2. SFCT was significantly lower in groups 1A and 1B than in group 2 (p = 0.020 and p = 0.028, respectively). Group 1B presented statistically significant thicker SFCT than group 1A (p = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT was significantly lower in RA patients than in normal subjects. HCQ treatment may, however, cause a statistically significant increase in SFCT. This increase is clinically negligible.
authors.affiliation: a Departmant of Ophthalmology , Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital , Izmir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karti
authors.affiliation: b Department of Ophthalmology , Dokuz Eylul University , Izmir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ziya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.affiliation: a Departmant of Ophthalmology , Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital , Izmir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ozgur
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Zengin
authors.affiliation: b Department of Ophthalmology , Dokuz Eylul University , Izmir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: a Departmant of Ophthalmology , Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital , Izmir , Turkey.
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kusbeci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine
keywords: Choroidal thickness; enhanced depth imaging; hydroxychloroquine; optical coherence tomography; rheumatoid arthritiss