Peripapillary intervortex venous anastomoses in central serous chorioretinopathy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is a condition affecting vision.
• Peripapillary intervortex venous anastomoses are vascular connections in the eye.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess peripapillary intervortex venous anastomoses in CSCR patients and healthy individuals.
• To investigate the association between these anastomoses and CSCR clinical characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Multimodal imaging, including optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), was used.
• The Index of Vortex Anastomoses Number (IVAN) was quantified in en face OCTA scans.
• IVAN was correlated with CSCR classification, laterality, disease course, visual acuity, and retinal thickness.

Main Results:

• IVAN was significantly higher in CSCR patients (chronic and acute) compared to healthy individuals.
• IVAN was higher in chronic CSCR than acute CSCR, and in bilateral CSCR compared to unilateral.
• IVAN showed a significant positive correlation with retinal pigment epithelium alteration and subfoveal choroidal thickness.

Conclusions:

• Semiquantitative analysis of intervortex venous anastomoses using en face OCTA reveals variable prevalence in CSCR.
• The prevalence of these anastomoses correlates with clinical classifications of CSCR, suggesting a role in the disease pathophysiology.