Evaluation of choroidal thickness measurements in patients with marked nasal septal deviation()

INTRODUCTION: Chronic upper airway obstruction due to marked nasal septal deviation may cause chronic hypoxia. It may change the balance of the sympathetic-parasympathetic system and may affect blood flow in the choroid. OBJECTIVE: To assess choroidal thickness measurements of patients with marked nasal septal deviation. METHODS: The patients who had nasal obstruction symptoms diagnosed with marked nasal septal deviation by anterior rhinoscopy and nasal endoscopy and scheduled for septoplasty were included in the study. The control group consisted of age, sex and body mass index-matched healthy individuals. The choroidal measurements at the central fovea and 1000 μm away from the fovea in the nasal and temporal regions were performed using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: In the study group, 52 eyes of 26 patients with a mean age of 26.34 ± 8.14 years were examined. In the control group, 52 eyes of 28 healthy individuals with a mean age of 26.69 ± 7.84 years were examined. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of choroidal thickness measurements between the groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that marked nasal septal deviation may not lead to significant hypoxia and sympathetic activation, resulting in deterioration of the choroidal blood flow and consequent choroidal thickening.