Background: Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) poses a higher risk of severe visual impairment compared to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), with choroidal thickness implicated in its pathophysiology. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows detailed assessment of macular choroidal thickness, potentially aiding in early detection and risk assessment in narrow-angle conditions.
Objective: To comparatively analyze macular choroidal thickness in narrow-angle patients using OCT.
Patients and methods: This case-control study included 75 participants divided into three groups: Group I (angle closure glaucoma, n = 25), Group II (angle closure suspects, n = 25), and Group III (healthy controls, n = 25). Choroidal thickness in the sub-foveal, nasal, and temporal regions was measured by OCT.
Results: Sub-foveal, nasal, and temporal choroidal thicknesses were significantly higher in Groups I and II than in Group III (p < 0.001), with no significant differences between Groups I and II. Sub-foveal choroidal thickness correlated positively with intraocular pressure (IOP) (r = 0.475, p = 0.017) and negatively with spherical equivalent (SE) (r = -0.428, p = 0.033). Temporal choroidal thickness was positively correlated with age (r = 0.603, p = 0.001) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (r = 0.444, p = 0.026).
Conclusion: Increased macular choroidal thickness, particularly in the sub-foveal, nasal, and temporal regions, may serve as an indicator for angle-closure risk, correlating with elevated IOP and refractive measures. OCT imaging could thus be valuable in early diagnosis and monitoring of angle-closur