Imaging Suprachoroidal Layer in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of a visible suprachoroidal layer (SCL) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 252 eyes of 252 patients with treatment-naive typical exudative AMD (n = 80), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) (n = 138) and retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) (n = 34). The presence of SCL was identified based on enhanced-depth imaging OCT images, and the prevalence was compared among the three disease groups. In addition, subfoveal choroidal thickness was compared between patients with and without SCL.Results: The SCL was noted in 56 eyes (22.2%). The prevalence was 22.5% in typical exudative AMD (18 of 80 eyes), 18.8% in PCV (26 of 138 eyes) and 35.3% in RAP (12 of 34 eyes) (p = 0.118). Patients with SCL showed significantly thinner choroid (207.5 ± 83.9 µm versus 279.7 ± 116.5 µm, p < 0.001) and were relatively older (72.1 ± 8.1 versus 70.1 ± 8.7 years, p = 0.124) than those without SCL.Conclusion: The prevalence of visible SCL was 22.2% in patients with exudative AMD. Age-related changes, including choroidal thinning, may contribute to the development of a visible SCL.