Choroid structure analysis following initiation of hemodialysis by using swept-source optical coherence tomography in patients with and without diabetes

We aimed to evaluate choroid structural changes using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) following hemodialysis initiation in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In this multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study, diabetic (DM group; 30 eyes; 16 patients) and nondiabetic patients (NDM group; 30 eyes; 15 patients) with ESKD were evaluated after hemodialysis initiation. SS-OCT findings were analyzed using a manual delineation technique and binarization method before the first and last hemodialysis sessions, conducted approximately 2 weeks apart. Subfoveal choroidal thickness changes and mean large choroidal vessel layer thickness were significantly greater in the DM group (−13.3% ± 2.5% and −14.5% ± 5.2%, respectively) than the NDM group (−9.5% ± 3.1% and −9.2% ± 3.4%, respectively; p = 0.049 and p = 0.02, respectively). Binarized SS-OCT analysis revealed that the mean subfoveal choroidal area was significantly larger in the DM group (−21.9% ± 6.5%) than the NDM group (−17.2% ± 5.9%; p = 0.032). The change ratio in mean luminal area values was significantly greater in the DM group (−27.7% ± 8.7%) than the NDM group (−17.7% ± 5.8%; p = 0.007). The DM group exhibited substantial changes in the choroidal layer, possibly reflecting choroidal vascular disorders caused by diabetes.