Decrease of choriocapillary vascular density measured by optical coherence tomography angiography in...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vascular Biology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is a systemic inflammatory condition affecting ocular tissues.
• Changes in choroidal circulation during VKH disease progression are not fully understood.
• Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) allows for non-invasive assessment of choriocapillary vascular density (CC VD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare CC VD in different stages of VKH disease.
• To analyze the correlation between CC VD and clinical parameters.
• To explore the clinical significance of CC VD in VKH disease management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series including 114 VKH patients and 47 normal controls.
• OCTA imaging to measure CC VD in acute, convalescent, and chronic recurrent stages of VKH.
• Comparison of CC VD with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT).

Main Results:

• CC VD was significantly lower in all VKH disease stages compared to normal controls.
• CC VD increased with inflammation resolution and decreased during anterior uveitis relapse.
• Lower CC VD in the convalescent stage was associated with a history of anterior recurrence.
• CC VD showed a negative correlation with BCVA.

Conclusions:

• CC VD is decreased across all stages of VKH disease.
• CC VD may serve as a biomarker for monitoring uveitis activity in VKH.
• OCTA is a valuable tool for evaluating choroidal vascularity and CC VD in VKH patients.
• Further research is needed to establish OCTA's role in VKH progression monitoring and clinical decision-making.