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Analysis of choroidal thickness and vascularity in patients with unilateral polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology volume 258, pages 1157–1164 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to analyze the choroidal characteristics in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV, affected eyes) and unaffected fellow eyes, and investigated the longitudinal changes in the choroidal structure of fellow eyes in patients with unilateral PCV.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 55 treatment-naïve patients with unilateral PCV. The choroidal thickness and vascularity between PCV affected eyes, unaffected fellow eyes, and normal control eyes were compared. Structural changes in the choroid of the fellow eyes were reviewed during follow-up.

Results

PCV eyes had thicker subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) (p < 0.001), greater ratio of Haller layer to SFCT (p < 0.001), and lower choroidal vascularity index (p = 0.023), compared to controls. In unaffected fellow eyes, the ratio of the Haller layer to SFCT was greater (p < 0.001) than in controls. During a 58.91-month mean follow-up, nine (16%) fellow eyes developed new PCV. These eyes showed a greater ratio of Haller layer to SFCT at baseline (p < 0.001) compared to the other fellow eyes. We also observed a numerical change in the choroidal vascularity index during follow-up of fellow eyes that developed new PCV.

Conclusion

The dilation of the Haller layer was prominent in PCV eyes and fellow eyes, compared to normal controls. In the fellow eyes that developed new PCV lesions, there were changes in the choroidal vascularity during follow-up.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Education (2016R1A6A1A03010528).

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea

    Kook Lee, Jin-Heung Park, Young Gun Park & Young-Hoon Park

  2. Catholic Institute for Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea

    Young-Hoon Park

Authors
  1. Kook Lee
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  2. Jin-Heung Park
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  3. Young Gun Park
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  4. Young-Hoon Park
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Correspondence to Young-Hoon Park.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Cite this article

Lee, K., Park, JH., Park, Y.G. et al. Analysis of choroidal thickness and vascularity in patients with unilateral polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 258, 1157–1164 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-020-04620-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-020-04620-z

Keywords

  • Choroidal thickness
  • Choroidal vascularity index
  • Dilated Haller vessel
  • Pachychoroid
  • Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy