Retinal nerve fiber thickness measurements in choroideremia patients with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the presence of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defects in patients with choroideremia by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
METHODS: Twenty-nine eyes of 16 patients with choroideremia underwent peripapillary RNFL thickness measurements by using SD-OCT.
RESULTS: The mean (±SD) age of the study population was 44.0 ± 16.0 years (range, 13-63 years). Thirteen eyes (45%) showed a thinning of the peripapillary RNFL in at least 1 quadrant in either 1 or both eyes. Thinning was most commonly found in the superior (13 eyes) and inferior (10 eyes) quadrants. Twenty-one eyes (72%) showed a thickening of the peripapillary RNFL in at least 1 quadrant in either 1 or both eyes. Of these 21 eyes, all had thickening in the temporal quadrant. Additionally, 2 eyes in each of the other 3 quadrants were found to be abnormally thick.
CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated the presence of defects in the peripapillary RNFL thickness in patients with choroideremia by using SD-OCT. It would be clinically prudent that choroideremia patients considered for various treatment options be considered for RNFL thickness measurements.