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Subject Area

Ophthalmology

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the macular, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and choroidal thickness alterations using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in postmenopausal, pregnant, and nonpregnant women. Background The choroid, also known as the choroidea or choroid coat, is a part of the uvea, the vascular layer of the eye. It contains connective tissues and lies between the retina and the sclera. Patients and methods A comparative study was conducted that included 75 eyes of 75 healthy women in the period from March 2021 to December 2021. They were divided into three groups: (a) nonpregnant women, (b) pregnant women, and (c) postmenopausal women. Each participant underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. Following this detailed ophthalmologic examination, the third-generation Spectralis OCT device (software version 5.6.3.0; Spectralis OCT) was used for the assessment of choroidal, macular, and RNFL thicknesses. Results The mean age of nonpregnant women was 29.64 ± 3.13 years, of pregnant women was 28.93 ± 3.89 years, and of postmenopausal women was 53.86 ± 1.75 years. There was no significant difference in all macular quadrants among the three study groups. Choroidal thickness was statistically significantly thicker in healthy pregnant women (333.36 ± 44.42) than in healthy nonpregnant women (326.93 ± 31.50) and significantly thinner in healthy postmenopausal women (282.64 ± 28.04) than in healthy nonpregnant women. There was no significant difference in RNFL thickness among the three study groups. Conclusion OCT has evolved over the past decade as one of the most important ancillary tests in ophthalmic practice. Pregnancy hormones may lead to an increase in fluid volume in many tissues of the body.

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