Original Article

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Features of the Optic Disc in Patients with Nonocular Behçet’s Disease

10.4274/tod.40.190

  • Yıldırım Beyazıt Şakalar
  • Uğur Keklikçi
  • Sevin Söker Çakmak
  • Şeyhmus Arı
  • Seyfettin Erdem
  • Kaan Ünlü

Received Date: 11.05.2010 Accepted Date: 02.06.2010 Turk J Ophthalmol 2010;40(4):190-193

Purpose:

To evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic disc measurements in patients with nonocular Behçet’s disease.

Material and Method:

Forty-six eyes of 23 patients with nonocular Behçet’s disease (Group 1) and 30 eyes of 15 healthy subjects (Group 2) were included in the study. A detailed ophthalmologic examination was performed, and the RNFL thickness and optic disc measurements were made by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in all cases. Thinning was considered when the RNFL thickness values were below 5%.

Results:

The mean RNFL thickness was 104.08±8.27 mm and 106.98±9.14 mm in group 1 and group 2, respectively. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of mean RNFL thickness (p>0.05). In group 1, the thinning of RNFL was detected in: one segment-13 eyes (28%), two segments-10 eyes (22%), three segments-2 eyes (4.3%), one quadrant - 8 eyes (17.4%), and two quadrants - 1 eye (2.2%). In group 2, the thinning of RNFL was observed in one segment - 7 eyes (25%) and in three segments - 2 eyes (7%). No thinning was detected in any quadrants in group 2. The thinning of RNFL in both segments and quadrants between the two groups was found to be significantly different (p<0.05). No significant difference existed between the two groups for optic disc measurements (p>0.05).

Discussion:

Thinning of RNFL may be seen in patients with nonocular Behçet’s disease. The OCT can be used as an ancillary examination method in these patients.

Keywords: Behçet’s disease, retinal nerve fiber layer, optic disc, optical coherence tomography

Full Text (Turkish)