Evaluation of choroidal changes in patients with ocular toxoplasmosis using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

We aimed to examine the choroidal changes in ocular toxoplasmosis with spectral domain optical coherence tomography using the enhanced depth-imaging mode. The clinical and laboratory data and spectral domain optical coherence tomography images of patients diagnosed with ocular toxoplasmosis and admitted to Dicle University, Department of Ophthalmology were analyzed retrospectively. The demographic properties such as best-corrected visual acuity intraocular pressure, biomicroscopic findings and dilated fundus examination were noted. The patients were categorized into three groups: active ocular toxoplasmosis, inactive ocular toxoplasmosis and healthy control groups. Enhanced depth-imaging coherence tomography images of both lesion area and subfoveal region were obtained in patients with active and inactive ocular toxoplasmosis, whereas only the enhanced depth-imaging coherence tomography images of subfoveal region were obtained in control group to measure choroidal thickness. A total of 54 subjects were evaluated including 20 individuals in the control group, 10 patients in active ocular toxoplasmosis group and 24 patients in inactive ocular toxoplasmosis group. No statistical significance was observed among the groups in terms of age, gender and intraocular pressure. Significant differences were noted in BCVA and SFCT among three groups. The mean ChT of the lesion area was significantly thicker in active ocular toxoplasmosis group than inactive ocular toxoplasmosis group (p=0.001). Monitoring of choroid is possible by EDI technique of spectral domain optical coherence tomography. This method is easily applicable and beneficial in the examining of ocular toxoplasmosis. Best-corrected visual acuity and the choroidal thickness in lesion area may vary according to activity.