Exogenous testosterone therapy on choroid in androgen deficiency

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Androgen deficiency can impact various physiological systems, including ocular vasculature.
• Choroidal parameters, such as choroidal vascularity index (CVI), may be affected by hormonal status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of exogenous testosterone treatment on choroidal parameters in men with androgen deficiency.
• To compare choroidal parameters between androgen-deficient patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) was used to assess subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and various choroidal vascularity indices (CVI, C-SA, C-LA, CSLR) within the central macula.
• Measurements were taken at baseline, 6 weeks, and 18 weeks during exogenous testosterone treatment in 24 androgen-deficient patients and 31 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Androgen-deficient patients showed significantly different CVI, choroid-stromal area (C-SA), choroid-stromal to luminal area ratio (CSLR), and parameters within the central 1500 µm (CVI1500, C-LA1500, CSLR1500) compared to controls.
• Exogenous testosterone treatment led to transient decreases in SFCT, CVI, C-LA, and C-SA at 6 weeks, with parameters returning to baseline by 18 weeks.
• However, CVI1500 and choroid-luminal area within the central 1500 µm (LA1500) significantly increased by the end of the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) is reduced in patients with androgen deficiency compared to healthy individuals.
• The observed changes in choroidal parameters during peak testosterone levels are temporary.
• A sustained increase in CVI within the central 1500 µm of the macula persists beyond 4 months of treatment.