Choroidal Vascularity Index in Adult-Onset Foveomacular Vitelliform Dystrophy: A Pilot Study

Solmaz Abdolrahimzadeh,Serena Fragiotta,Chiara Ciacimino,Gianluca Scuderi,Mariachiara Di Pippo

doi:10.3390/app112110487

Solmaz Abdolrahimzadeh, Serena Fragiotta + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110487

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Journal: Applied sciences	Publication Date: Nov 8, 2021
Citations: 4	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome

Abstract

This pilot study aims to investigate choroidal vascular status in eyes with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD), early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and age-matched controls. In this retrospective study, choroidal thickness (CT) was measured manually using spectral domain optical coherence tomography images of the fovea, and 500 and 1500 µm from the nasal and temporal regions in the fovea. The horizontal B-scan was imported into Fiji software. Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and luminal and stromal areas were calculated. A total of 36 eyes from 36 patients, including 18 eyes with AOFVD and 18 eyes with CD, and 16 eyes of healthy subjects were included. CVI was significantly different among subgroups (ANOVA, p = 0.004). Eyes with AOFVD presented a higher CVI (+0.03 ± 0.01, p = 0.001) than eyes with CD and controls (p = 0.03). No differences in CVI were detected between controls and eyes with CD (p = 0.25). AOFVD eyes accounted for the greatest luminal area, particularly significant in comparison with healthy controls (+0.27 ± 0.11, p = 0.02). AOFVD eyes present a greater CVI than eyes with CD and controls. The major choroidal involvement is on the luminal component, further corroborating a possible role of the choroidal vasculature in the pathological manifestations of AOFVD disease.

Highlights

Since the original description of adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD) some four decades ago by Gass [1], our knowledge on the condition has increased owing to the wider availability of improved imaging methods in ophthalmology
Is typically diagnosed between the fourth and sixth decade of life and is characterized by yellowish subretinal macular deposits that are observed as dome-shaped hyperreflective lesions localized between the photoreceptor layer and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) [2]
In the age-related macular degeneration (AMD) group, neither subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT) (r = −0.11, p = 0.66) nor Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) (r = −0.02, p = 0.33) were influenced by age. In this investigation we found that eyes with AOFVD presented a greater CVI than eyes with conventional drusen (CD) and controls

Summary

Introduction

Since the original description of adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD) some four decades ago by Gass [1], our knowledge on the condition has increased owing to the wider availability of improved imaging methods in ophthalmology. AOFVD is typically diagnosed between the fourth and sixth decade of life and is characterized by yellowish subretinal macular deposits that are observed as dome-shaped hyperreflective lesions localized between the photoreceptor layer and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) [2]. The characteristic evolution of the disease is a progressive increase in size in the vitelliform phase, followed by a pseudohypopyon stage, a decrease in size in the vitelliruptive phase, and culmination in atrophy of the outer retina and RPE [3]. Some authors have studied the choroid in eyes with AOFVD as this prevalently vascular layer is fundamental in providing metabolic support to the RPE and outer retina. A few authors have reported increased choroidal thickness (CT) in eyes with

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