The Effects of Systemic Alfuzosin and Tamsulosin Hydrochloride on Choroidal Thickness and Pupil Diameter Sizes in Cases with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Purpose: To compare the effects of alfuzosin hydrochloride and tamsulosin hydrochloride on choroidal thickness (CT) and pupil diameter (PD) sizes in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Subjects and methods: Sixty-three men patients with newly diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomly assigned to either alfuzosin hydrochloride or to tamsulosin hydrochloride groups in this prospective, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial. Enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, pupillography were obtained at baseline, 1st and 3rd month, and choroidal thicknesses and pupil diameter sizes were compared between the two groups.

Results: The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), nasal choroidal thickness (NCT), and temporal choroidal thickness (TCT) in AH group were 275.70 ± 32.14 μm, 269.7 ± 33.54 μm and 270.71 ± 33.52 μm at baseline, respectively; and they were 275.46 ± 31.6 μm, 268.73 ± 33.08 μm and 270.73 ± 33.05 μm at baseline in TH group, respectively (P = 0.97, P = 0.84, P = 0.99, for SCT, NCT, and TCT, respectively). The mean SCT, NCT, and TCT after 3 months were 278.93 ± 34.58 μm, 272.62 ± 34.17 μm, and 273.6 ± 34.17 μm in AH group, respectively; and they were 274.36 ± 31.91 μm, 264.70 ± 33.59 μm, and 267.72 ± 33.6 μm in TH group, respectively (P = 0.6, P = 0.37, P = 0.43, for SCT, NCT, and TCT, respectively). The mean scotopic pupil diameter (SPD), mesopic pupil diameter (MPD), and photopic pupil diameter (PPD) sizes in AH group were 6.46 ± 0.84 mm, 5.07 ± 0.72 mm and 3.66 ± 0.46 mm at baseline, respectively; and they were 6.44 ± 1.14 mm, 5.01 ± 0.79 mm and 3.62 ± 0.53 mm at baseline in TH group, respectively (P = 0.89, P = 0.74, P = 0.68, for SPD, MPD, and PPD, respectively). The mean SPD, MPD, and PPD sizes after 3 months were 5.96 ± 0.76 mm, 4.67 ± 0.74 mm, and 3.15 ± 0.47 mm in AH group, respectively; and they were 6.42 ± 0.89 mm, 5.05 ± 0.75 mm, and 3.55 ± 0.53 mm in TH group respectively (P = < 0.001, P = < 0.001, P = < 0.001, for SPD, MPD, and PPD, respectively).

Conclusion: The repeated measure of ANOVA for the mean CT values within AH group showed statistically significant increases in baseline CTs, although these differences did not reach statistical significance between 2 groups at follow-ups. We found significant different outcomes for PD sizes during study in the groups. The mean outcome in this study is that using αAR antagonists have potential effects on CT and PD sizes. Abbreviations and Acronyms: AH: alfuzosin hyrdrochloride; ANOVA: analyses of variance; AR: adrenergic receptor; BCVA: best-corrected visual acuity; BPH: benign prostatic hyperplasia; CT: choroidal thickness; EDI-OCT: enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography; IFIS: intraoperative floppy iris syndrome; MPD: mesopic pupil diameter; NCT: nasal choroidal thickness; PD: pupil diameter; PPD: photopic pupil diameter; SCT: subfoveal choroidal thickness; SPD: scotopic pupil diameter; TCT: temporal choroidal thickness; TH: tamsulosin hydrochloride.