Measurements of scleral thickness and corneal optic densitometry in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the scleral thickness and corneal parameters of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Forty-seven eyes of 47 SLE patients and 44 eyes of healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) was used to measure the corneal and scleral thickness. Scleral thickness (ST) was measured based upon the segmentation at 1000 to 5000 μm from the scleral spur. Pentacam HR was used to measure corneal parameters. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between SLE group and control group according to age and sex (P > .05). The ST measurements at all distances from scleral spur were found to be thicker in patients with SLE (P < .05). Central corneal thickness (CCT), cornea volume (CV), corneal densitometry (CD), and peripheral corneal thickness (PCT) measurements were similar between the groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: ST was thicker in SLE patients compared with healthy controls. AS-OCT seems helpful in selecting optimal sites for pharmaceutical or surgical intervention in SLE patients, since it shows thickness variations in anterior sclera.