Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography reveals vascular changes in intermediate uveitis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Retinal Vascular Diseases

Background:

• Intermediate uveitis is an intraocular inflammatory condition.
• Retinal vasculitis can be a concomitant finding in intermediate uveitis.
• Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) allows detailed visualization of retinal and choroidal vasculature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess retinal and choroidal vascular alterations in intermediate uveitis patients, with or without retinal vasculitis.
• To compare vascular changes in intermediate uveitis patients to healthy controls using wide-field OCTA.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated patients with intermediate uveitis (± vasculitis) and healthy controls using 3x3 mm OCTA scans and montage scans.
• Assessed differences in vascular parameters between groups and correlated central OCTA findings with wide-field OCTA.
• Analyzed superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) perfusion, foveal avascular area (FAZ), and vessel density (VD).

Main Results:

• Cystoid macular edema (CME) correlated with reduced perfusion in both SCP and DCP.
• Foveal avascular area (FAZ) dimensions significantly differed among groups; epiretinal membranes (ERM) and CME influenced FAZ size.
• Mean SCP vessel density was lower in intermediate uveitis patients (with/without vasculitis) compared to controls; CME impacted SCP vessel density.

Conclusions:

• Patients with intermediate uveitis and vasculitis exhibit reduced central retinal vessel density compared to controls.
• Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a significant factor contributing to observed vascular changes, including reduced vessel density and altered FAZ.
• Wide-field OCTA did not show an association between peripheral vascular changes and central findings in this cohort.