Choroidal Structural Changes in Patients with Birdshot Chorioretinopathy.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Choroidal Imaging

Background:

• Birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR) is a rare inflammatory condition affecting the choroid and retina.
• Assessing intraocular inflammation in BSCR is crucial for disease management.
• Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) is a quantitative measure derived from optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) in patients diagnosed with birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR).
• To determine if CVI can serve as a biomarker for inflammatory activity in BSCR.

Main Methods:

• Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was calculated using enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).
• CVI was defined as the ratio of luminar area to total subfoveal choroidal area.
• Intraocular inflammation was assessed based on the presence of macular edema, vitritis, vasculitis, and papillitis.

Main Results:

• Eighty BSCR patients and 22 healthy controls were analyzed.
• Foveal choroidal thickness was significantly reduced in BSCR patients compared to controls.
• No significant difference in CVI was observed between BSCR patients and controls.
• CVI was significantly higher in BSCR patients exhibiting signs of active intraocular inflammation.
• Multivariate regression indicated longer disease duration correlated with lower CVI, while papillitis correlated with higher CVI.

Conclusions:

• The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) does not differ between birdshot chorioretinopathy patients and healthy individuals.
• CVI shows potential as a novel imaging biomarker for monitoring inflammatory activity in BSCR.
• Further research is warranted to validate CVI's role in BSCR management.