To evaluate the effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on choroid, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and foveal thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Fifty patients with RA and forty-one healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. The subfoveal, perifoveal choroidal, RNFL, and foveal thicknesses were measured by spectral domain OCT.
The mean subfoveal, nasal, and temporal choroidal thicknesses in RA individuals were significantly higher than those in the control group (p ˂ 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the RA and healthy group regarding RNFL and foveal thickness (p ˃ 0.05). A significant correlation was found between rheumatoid factor (RF) and the subfoveal temporal choroidal thickness.
Choroidal thickness in RA patients was higher than that in healthy participants. Choroidal thickening showed a positive correlation with RF, which may be an indicator for systemic vasculitis.