Spectral domain optical coherence tomography evaluation of macular changes in Eales disease

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe macular changes in treatment-naive eyes with Eales disease using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 79 eyes of 66 patients with Eales disease. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp biomicroscopy (SLB), indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and quantitative (central macular thickness [CMT]) and qualitative analysis on SD-OCT were performed. Results: Forty-six (58.2%) eyes had macular involvement as assessed with SD-OCT, while in 33 (41.8%) eyes, macula was not affected. Macular edema was the most common feature when macula was affected followed by epiretinal membrane. Mean CMT was higher (315.3 +/- 102.3 mu m) in eyes with macular involvement than those without it (243.8 +/- 19.3 mu m). Eyes with active vasculitis involving larger vessels and neovascularization had greater chance of macular involvement. SLB and FFA alone missed 28.3% and 50% eyes with macular abnormalities on SD-OCT, respectively. Conclusion: While the clinical description of Eales disease points mainly to a peripheral location, macular involvement can be commonly picked up when SD-OCT is used. Macular involvement when present is associated with a poorer BCVA.