Choroidal vascular changes in retinitis pigmentosa patients detected by optical coherence tomography angiography

Abstract

Background To evaluate choroidal vascular changes, including choriocapillaris (CC) and middle/large choroidal vessels, in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients using wide-angle optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and to determine whether changes in the choroidal vascularity have a relationship with visual function and retinal structural changes. Methods 34 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of RP and 48 controls were recruited. All patients underwent detailed ophthalmologic and imaging examinations, including two types of OCTA (Optovue, 3 × 3 mm, 6 × 6 mm; VG-200, 12 × 12 mm). CC defects were defined according to the choroidal vascular structure in five degrees. To evaluate middle and large choroidal vascular changes, the choroidal vascularity index (CVI), which was the luminance volume to the total choroidal volume, was used. Results Defects of choroidal vascularity of RP eyes were detected in comparison to control eyes. The defects were observed in the CC layer with a concentric or lobular pattern at different degrees. CVI, which was used to reflect middle/large choroidal vascularity, decreased in the perifoveal, pararetinal and periretinal regions in the RP eyes. CC defects degree were correlated with the BCVA (p = 0.001, r = − 0.556), the Humphrey indexes (mean deviation, MD, p < 0.001, r = − 0.673; PVF, p = 0.003, r = − 0.639; 10° mean sensitivity, 10° MS, p = 0.002, r = − 0.651) and microperimetry index (mean sensitivity, MS, p < 0.001, r = − 0.807). The preserved CC area (mean value: 28.65 ± 12.50 mm2) was negatively correlated with MS measured by microperimetry (p = 0.005, r = − 0.449). Ordinary regression analysis revealed that the CC defect degree was associated with the CVI of perifovea (p = 0.002, 95% CI: − 102.14 to − 24.01), the EZ length (p = 0.006, 95% CI: − 0.006 to − 0.001) and the VAD (vascular area density) of the DCP (deep capillary plexus) in the fovea (p = 0.022, 95% CI: 0.038–0.478). No correlations were detected between BCVA and CVI in any retinal regions. No correlations were found between the CVI and the VAD in any retinal regions. Conclusion The choroidal vascularity was widely defected in RP. Choriocapillaris and middle/large choroidal vascularity defects were correlated with each other. Visual function and retinal structural changes were found to be associated with choriocapillaris defects but not with middle/large choroidal vascular defects.

Compartmental analysis of three-dimensional choroidal vascularity and thickness of myopic eyes in young adults using SS-OCTA

“…3D CVV and CVI analyses are the highlights of our study. Previously, CVI was used to quantify choroid blood perfusion in central serous chorioretinopathy ( Yang et al, 2020 ), Stargardt disease ( Ratra et al, 2018 ), and retinitis pigmentosa ( Shen et al, 2020 ). Notably, the majority of these investigations applied a binarization algorithm to calculate the CVI.…”

Kearns–Sayre syndrome with a novel large-scale deletion: a case report

“…However, in an OCT-based study of myopia in Chinese youth, the mean subfoveal Cht was 303.08 ± 76.87 μm [ 11 ], and it could be distinguished from the OCT image that it resulted from atrophy of the choriocapillaris layer. Prior research also demonstrated that the choroidal vascularity index, which reflects middle and large choroidal vascularity, has recently shown a downward trend in PR eyes [ 12 ]. In OCTA, the foveal avascular zone of the patient’s eyes were 0.334 and 0.224, respectively, and the superior vessel density was 51.2 and 51.6%, respectively, which were similar to the results reported in previous studies [ 13 ].…”

Effect of Dual Endothelin Receptor Antagonist on a Retinal Degeneration Animal Model by Regulating Choroidal Microvascular Morphology

“…In the progression of retinal degeneration, the thinning of the retinal vessels causes microvascular abnormalities and BF impairment to occur in the retina and fluorescein angiography shows choroidal vascular atrophy [19]. Some RP patients even have blood circulation disorders of the body with slower cold-induced maximal flow reduction and longer warm recovery time than non-RP patients [20].…”