Evaluation of Macular, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Choroidal Thickness by Optical Coherence Tomography in Children and Adolescents with Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate macular, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) and choroidal thickness in children and adolescents with vitamin B12 deficiency and no neurological examination finding. Methods: The study group includes of thirty-three children aged 8–17 years who were brought to the Pediatric outpatient clinic with the symptoms of fatigue and forgetfulness and whose Vitamin B12 levels were detected < 200 pg/ml. The control group was the 30 children and adolescents applied to the same policlinic with various symptoms and whose Vitamin B12 levels were found normal. Children and adolescents with chronic systemic/ocular disease history and myopia or hyperopia more than 4 diopters were not included in both groups. Spectral Domain-Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) was used for measurements. Results: Mean Macular thickness value was 261.2 ± 17.6 in the Vitamin B12 deficiency group and 267.7 ± 17.4 in the control group. Mean value of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) thickness was 103.5 ± 7.5 in the Vitamin B12 deficiency group and 104.3 ± 8.9 in the control group. The mean values of Choroidal thickness were 360.1 ± 59.8 and 316.9 ± 95.4 in Vitamin B12 deficiency and control groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant increase in choroidal thickness in Vitamin B12 deficiency group compared to controls. Conclusion: Statistically significant increase in the Choroidal thicknesses of children and adolescents with Vitamin B12 deficiency is important in terms of shedding light on studies that will contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between vitamin B12 and inflammation. Clinical trial registration: This study is an observational study. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.