The effect of pseudoexfoliation syndrome on choroidal thickness in open-angle glaucoma

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of pseudoex foliation syndrome on choroidal thickness as compared with healthy individuals and subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma. METHODS: This prospective, randomized study included 30 primary open angle glaucoma patients and 30 pseudoexfoliation glaucoma patients with similar demographic characteristics and 30 eyes of 30 healthy individuals comprised the control group. Regular optic nerve and macular images were obtained using a Cirrus HD spectral domain optical coherence tomography instrument, along with macular choroidal thickness measurements with enhanced depth imaging mode. RESULTS: Age, sex, and axial length values were similar among the three groups (p>0.05). The primary open angle glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma groups had comparable levels of glaucomatous damage. The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness values in the primary open angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, and control groups were 271.80 ± 19.96 μm, 241.43 ± 32.47 μm, and 268.03 ± 24.50 μm, respectively. The pseudoexfoliation glaucoma group had the lowest choroidal thickness values of the three groups (p values: pseudoexfoliation-control: 0.001; pseudoexfoliation-primary open angle glaucoma: <0.001, primary open angle glaucoma-control: 0.516, independent samples t-test). CONCLUSION: The macular choroid was thinner in patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, as compared with both healthy individuals and open-angle glaucoma patients with similar degrees of glaucomatous damage.