PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MULTIFOCAL CHOROIDITIS/PUNCTATE INNER CHOROIDOPATHY IN PATHOLOGIC MYOPIA EYES WITH...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Retinal Diseases

Background:

• Pathologic myopia is a leading cause of visual impairment.
• Patchy atrophy is a common complication of pathologic myopia.
• The relationship between multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy (MFC/PIC) and patchy atrophy in myopia is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and characteristics of MFC/PIC in eyes with patchy atrophy due to pathologic myopia.
• To investigate the association between MFC/PIC and macular neovascularization in myopic eyes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 500 eyes with patchy atrophy from 253 patients with pathologic myopia.
• Diagnosis of active MFC/PIC lesions using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
• Evaluation of clinical characteristics, including age, axial length, and presence of macular neovascularization.

Main Results:

• 11% (55 of 500 eyes) showed OCT features of active MFC/PIC.
• Active MFC/PIC lesions were associated with higher rates of macular neovascularization (81.8% vs. 33.9%, P < 0.001).
• In 45.5% of cases, MFC/PIC lesions preceded the development of patchy atrophy, often co-located with Bruch membrane defects.

Conclusions:

• Active MFC/PIC lesions are present in a subset of eyes with pathologic myopia and patchy atrophy.
• MFC/PIC appears to be a risk factor for the development of macular neovascularization in pathologic myopia.
• Some MFC/PIC lesions may progress to findings resembling myopic patchy atrophy.