Evaluation of Correlations of Macular Choroidal Thickness and Central Macular Thickness with Ganglion Cell Complex Parameters in Exfoliation Patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the macular choroidal thickness (CT) and central macular thickness (CMT) in exfoliation syndrome (XFS), exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) and age-matched healthy subjects using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and to investigate the correlations of CT and CMT with ganglion cell complex (GCC). Materials and Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with XFS, XFG, and healthy volunteers. CMT was analyzed with standard OCT protocol while CT was analyzed with enhanced depth imaging (EDI) modality in all subjects. Results: The study included; 41 eyes with XFS, 62 eyes with XFG and 30 eyes of healthy subjects. The mean CMT were; 253.3 ± 35.8 µm, 258.5 ± 43.4 µm and 255.1 ± 29.9 µm in the XFS, XFG and control group respectively (p=0.52). The mean CT in XFS group was significantly thinner than XFG and control (p<0.001). In XFS group, we detected weak positive correlations of average ganglion cell layer+inner plexiform layer (GCL+IPL) thickness and minimum GCL+IPL thickness with CT (R= +0.23, R=+0.21 respectively, p=0.15, p=0.19). In XFG patients, average GCL+IPL thickness and minimum GCL+ IPL thickness showed weak negative correlations with CMT (R= -0.22, R= -0.18 respectively, p=0.008, p=0.15), but there was no correlation between GCC parameters and CT measurements (R= -0.12, R= -0.09 respectively, p=0.32, p=0.52). Conclusions: In XFS group, choroidal changes may be an early indicator for transformation of XFS to XFG. Relatively thicker choroid in XFG group may be related to the reversibility of this situation with treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]