Effect of Vitamin D Deficiency on Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Choroidal Thickness: A Cross-Sectional Study

Year 2025, Volume: 22 Issue: 3, 515 - 521, 29.09.2025

Burak Ören , Özhan Uygun

https://doi.org/10.35440/hutfd.1696683

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the effect of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) on the choroidal thickness (CT) and the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT).
Materials and Methods: This study involved 60 patients with VDD (Group 1) and 50 healthy controls (Group 2). Group 1 was further divided into three subgroups—severe deficiency (Group 1a), defici-ency (Group 1b), and insufficiency (Group 1c)—based on serum vitamin D levels. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was utilized to measure the subjects’ subfoveal CT, nasal CT, temporal CT, and peripapillary RNFLT.
Results: The subfoveal, temporal, and nasal CTs were observed to be significantly thinner in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p < 0.001). However, peripapillary RNFLTs did not differ significantly between Groups 1 and 2 in all quadrants (all p > 0.05). Subfoveal, temporal, and nasal CTs were significantly thinner in Group 1a than in Groups 1b and 1c (all p < 0.001). However, peripapillary RNFLTs were comparable across subgroups in all quadrants (all p > 0.05). Vitamin D levels correlated positively with subfoveal, temporal, and nasal CTs among patients with VDD.
Conclusions: Patients with VDD exhibited decreased CTs, and those with severe deficiency showed an even more dramatic decrease. Therefore, VDD may cause choroidal pathologies.

Keywords

Vitamin D Deficiency , Choroidal Thickness , Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer , Optical Coherence Tomography

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval of the study was obtained with the decision of Adıyaman University Clinical Research Ethics Committee dated 23.06.2022 and numbered 2022-01-02.

D Vitamini Eksikliğinin Peripapiller Retina Sinir Lifi Tabakası ve Koroid Kalınlığı Üzerindeki Etkisi: Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: D vitamini eksikliğinin (DVE) koroid kalınlığı (KK) ve peripapiller retina sinir lifi tabakası kalınlığı (RSLTK) üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmek.
Materyal ve Metod: Çalışma grubu, DVE'si olan 60 hastadan (Grup 1) ve 50 sağlıklı kontrolden (Grup 2) oluşuyordu. Alt gruplama için serum D vitamini düzeyleri kriter alınarak Grup 1'den şiddetli eksi-klik (Grup 1a), eksiklik (Grup 1b) ve yetersizlik (Grup 1c) olmak üzere üç alt grup oluşturuldu. Deneklerin subfoveal, nazal, temporal KK ve peripapiller RSLTK'sini ölçmek için optik koherens to-mografi (OKT) (Heidelberg Spectralis OKT) kullanıldı.
Bulgular: Grup 1'in subfoveal, temporal ve nazal KK ölçümlerinin Grup 2'ninkinden önemli ölçüde daha ince olduğu görüldü (p<0,001). Grup 1 ve Grup 2'nin tüm kadranlarda Peripapiller RSLTK'leri benzerdi (her biri için p>0,05). Subfoveal, temporal ve nazal KK ölçümleri Grup 1a'da Grup 1b ve Grup 1c'den önemli ölçüde daha inceydi (her biri için p<0,001). Alt grupların peripapiller RSLTK'leri tüm kadranlarda benzerdi (her biri için p>0,05). DVE'li hastalarda subfoveal KK, temporal KK ve nazal KK skorları ile D vitamini seviyeleri arasında pozitif korelasyonlar bulundu.
Sonuç: DVE'li hastalarda KK'de azalma izlendi ve şiddetli eksikliği olanlarda daha da belirgin bir azalma mevcuttu. DVE koroidal patolojilere neden olabilir.

Keywords

D Vitamini Eksikliği , Koroid Kalınlığı , Retina Sinir Lifi Tabakası , Optik Koherens Tomografi

Ethical Statement

Çalışmanın etik onayı Adıyaman Üniversitesi Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulunun 23.06.2022 tarih ve 2022-01-02 sayılı kararı ile alındı.

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