Choroidal dye filling velocity in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is an inflammatory condition affecting ocular and neurological systems.
• Assessing choroidal circulation is crucial for understanding VKH pathophysiology and treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate choroidal dye filling velocity in VKH patients.
• To assess changes in choroidal circulation before and after corticosteroid therapy using indocyanine green (ICG) angiography.

Main Methods:

• Indocyanine green (ICG) angiography was performed on seven VKH patients.
• Choroidal dye filling velocity was analyzed using an exponential model, with the time constant (tau) as the key metric.
• Patients were evaluated during the acute and recovery phases of the disease, both before and after corticosteroid treatment.

Main Results:

• VKH patients in the acute phase exhibited significantly longer choroidal tau values compared to controls, indicating impaired choroidal circulation.
• During the recovery phase, choroidal tau values significantly shortened, suggesting improvement in choroidal circulatory disturbance.
• These findings highlight the dynamic changes in choroidal hemodynamics during VKH disease progression and treatment.

Conclusions:

• Choroidal dye filling velocity, as measured by ICG angiography, serves as a valuable quantitative marker for VKH.
• This method can effectively verify the therapeutic efficacy of corticosteroid treatment in VKH patients.
• Quantitative assessment of choroidal circulation offers a promising approach for VKH diagnosis and management.