Follow-up of lupus choroidopathy with optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Abstract: A 36-year-old female followed with the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus complained of bilateral visual loss. Ophthalmological examination revealed disc edema with irregular borders, edematous and pale retina with widespread cotton wool spots, intraretinal hemorrhages and serous retinal detachment in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans showed intraretinal and subretinal fluid creating cystic cavities with central subfield macular thickness values of 994 and 912 µm in the right and left eye, respectively. The follow-up scans after the treatment with systemic steroid, acetylsalicylic acid and cyclosporine documented resolution of this fluid accumulation and a decrease in macular thickness measurements. These clearly demonstrated that OCT, which is a fast, objective and non-invasive technology, may be an adjunctive imaging tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of lupus choroidopathy.