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Subject Area

Ophthalmology

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment on the posterior segment of the eye using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Background RA is a common chronic autoimmune systemic inflammatory disease that primarily affects mainly small joints. It may affect many parts of the eye, such as conjunctiva, cornea, sclera, uvea, choroid, and retina. Patients and methods The study included 44 RA patients (22 on methotrexate and 22 on etanercept), and 21 healthy controls. Results A significant increase in choroidal thickness in the RA group compared with the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups in central macular thickness (CMT) and peripapillary retinal nerve-fiber-layer (RNFL) thickness, except for quadrants of temporal and inferior nasal, which were significantly thinner in the RA group. Moreover, a significant negative correlation was observed between the disease-activity index (DAS28) and both CMT (r=−0.463, P = 0.002) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) (r=−0.524, P < 0.001) in RA patients. It means that there was an expected decrease in the CMT and SFCT of the eye when the DAS28 of the patient increased. On the other hand, a significant positive correlation was found between the DAS28 of the patients and inferior temporal quadrant of the peripapillary RNFL (r = 0.297, P = 0.05). Conclusion SFCT was markedly increased in RA patients compared with the control group. In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between the DAS28 of the patients and inferior temporal quadrant of the peripapillary RNFL.

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