Posterior Segment Ocular Parameters in Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To measure and compare posterior ocular layers in remission period in children with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).

Methods: A randomly selected eye and fellow eye of 20 FMF patients and 20 control eyes were evaluated. The average age of patients and control subjects were 12.9 ± 2.7 and 13.4 ± 2.7, respectively (p = .57). Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, optic nerve head parameters, macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer and ganglion cell complex thickness, foveal and parafoveal vascular densities, superficial/deep foveal avascular zone area and choroidal thickness were measured using swept source optical coherence tomography angiography.

Results: Among the overall measurements, temporal quadrant parafoveal vessel density of patients was significantly higher than that of controls (49.20 ± 2.57% vs 47.14 ± 3.17%, p = .04) and nasal quadrant vessel density was lower (42.88 ± 4.13% vs 46.76 ± 3.18%, p = .02).

Conclusions: This study indicated that FMF as an autoimmune disease may affect foveal vascular structure in children besides multiple other organ involvement.

KEYWORDS:

• Choroidal thickness
• familial Mediterranean fever
• foveal vessel density
• optic nerve head
• swept source optical coherence tomography

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.