Changes in choroidal vascular parameters following pan-retinal photocoagulation using swept-source optical coherence...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss.
• Pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) is a standard treatment for advanced DR.
• The impact of PRP on choroidal vascular parameters in DR requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of PRP on choroidal vascularity index (CVI).
• To assess changes in the luminal area to stromal area (L/S) ratio.
• To measure alterations in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) post-PRP in advanced DR.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 40 patients (65 eyes) with severe nonproliferative or proliferative DR underwent PRP.
• Swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography were used to assess choroidal vascular parameters.
• Measurements were taken at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-PRP.

Main Results:

• A significant decrease in CVI was observed from baseline (66.27%) to 12 months post-PRP (65.74%).
• The L/S ratio significantly decreased from baseline (1.98) to 12 months post-PRP (1.93).
• SFCT significantly reduced from baseline (319.50 μm) to 12 months post-PRP (280.93 μm), while choriocapillaris density showed no significant change.

Conclusions:

• PRP treatment leads to a significant reduction in CVI, L/S ratio, and SFCT in eyes with advanced DR.
• These findings suggest that PRP alters choroidal vascular structure in the long term.
• Choriocapillaris density appears unaffected by PRP in this patient cohort.