The Effect of the Smoking on Choroidal Thickness, Central Macular Vascular and Optic Disc Perfusion

Abstract Objectives To compare choroidal thickness, central macular vascular perfusion and optic disc perfusion in induvials smokers and non-smokers Methods Smoker participants defined group I and non-smoker participants(group II) included study. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) performed to all volunteers and choroidal thickness, central macular vascular and optic disc perfusion were measured Results In group I, 30 eyes of the 30 participants (6 male and 24 female) evaluated and in group II, 32 eyes of the 32 participants (13 male and 19 female) evaluated. The mean age of the volunteers were 43.09 ± 14.28 and 42.2 ± 8.24 year-old in group I and group II, respectively. The mean choroidal thickness were 345 ± 74 μm and 301.6 ± 71 μm in group I and group II, respectively (p = 0.022). The mean optic disc perfusions were 45.17 ± 1.46% and 45.25 ± 1.43% in group I and group II, respectively (p = 0.82). The mean central macular vascular perfusions were 20.20 ± 7.17 % and 18.65 ± 7.46% in group I and group II, respectively (p = 0.4). There are a negative correlation between macular vascular perfusion, optic disc perfusion and smoking period (p = 0.32 and 0.62, respectively.) Conclusion Our study revealed that smoking statistically significantly effected choroidal thickness but effected central macular vascular and optic disc perfusion changes were not statistically significant. Choroid is a vascular tissue between sclera and retina of eye. Most of ethiologic reason of the choridal diseases are not known very well. In literature, with choroidal diseases (Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and pachychoroid diseases), central choroidal thickness(CCT) changes were reported [ [1] , [2] , [3] ]. But, reasons of these changes not known very well. Smoking also, could cause retinal and choroidal changes [ [4] , [5] , [6] ]. According to World Health Organization by the year 2030 probably 9 milion people annually die secondary to smoking [ 7 ]. Effects of smoking cigarette on the vascular tissue was widely reported previously [ 8 , 9 ]. With this study, we aimed to assessed relationship of smoking between optic disc perfusions (ODP), central macular vascular perfusions (CMVP) and CCT.