Evaluation of the retinal nerve fiber layer with optic coherence tomography in patients with alcohol use disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) with optical coherence tomography (OCT) among patients with alcohol and tobacco use disorder. METHODS: This study included 29 patients and 29 age and gender-matched healthy participants without alcohol dependency. The patients underwent full ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior segment and fundus examinations, and RNFL measurements taken with spectral-domain OCT. The RNFL values of the two groups were compared with each other. RESULTS: In comparison to the control group, the RNFL was found to be thinner in all quadrants in the group with alcohol and tobacco dependency. The RNFL thinning in the superotemporal, temporal, and inferotemporal quadrants was found to be statistically significant (P-values 0.012, 0.040 and 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic alcohol and tobacco use may cause RNFL thinning. Assessment of RNFL thinning by OCT among patients with alcohol and tobacco dependency might be used to identify visual morbidity.