CHOROIDAL VASCULARITY INDEX QUANTIFICATION IN GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY USING BINARIZATION OF ENHANCED-DEPTH IMAGING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC SCANS. Issue 5 (May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Giannaccare, Giuseppe; Pellegrini, Marco; Sebastiani, Stefano; Bernabei, Federico; Moscardelli, Fabiana; Iovino, Claudio; Napoli, Pietro E.; Campos, Emilio
• Is Part Of: Retina. Volume 40:Issue 5(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-05
• Subjects: age-related macular degeneration -- geographic atrophy -- choroidal vascularity index -- optical coherence tomography; Retina -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Retinal Diseases; Vitreous Body; 617.735
• DOI: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002459
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0275-004X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: To evaluate choroidal structural changes occurring over time in geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration using choroidal vascularity index (CVI). Methods: Enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography scans of 34 patients with GA and 32 control subjects were retrospectively analyzed. Data were collected at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 18.3 ± 8.3 months. Choroidal images were binarized using the ImageJ software, and the luminal area and stromal area were segmented. Choroidal vascularity index was defined as the ratio of luminal area to total choroid area. Results: Patients with GA showed significantly lower values of CVI, total choroid area, luminal area, and subfoveal choroidal thickness compared to control subjects (65.83 ± 3.95 vs. 69.33 ± 3.11, P < 0.001; 0.400 ± 0.239 mm 2 vs. 0.491 ± 0.132, P = 0.006; 0.263 ± 0.152 mm 2 vs. 0.340 ± 0.094, P = 0.002; 185.2 ± 79.8 µ m vs. 216.8 ± 58.8 µ m, P = 0.036, respectively). Best-corrected visual acuity was significantly correlated only with choroidal thickness (R = −0.509; P = 0.002). During the follow-up period in patients with GA, subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased from 185.2 ± 79.8 to 152.2 ± 73.1 ( P = 0.001), stromal area increased from 0.138 ± 0.090 mm 2 to 0.156 ± 0.068 ( P = 0.028), and CVI decreased from 65.83 ± 3.95 to 62.24 ± 3.63 ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed for the first time that CVI is reduced in patients with GA, and that this metric further worsened during the follow-up period. Abstract : Choroidal vascularity index is a novel metric that can be used as a surrogate marker for monitoring retinal disease. This work showed that geographic atrophy due to age-related macular degeneration is associated with a reduction of the choroidal vascularity index, and that this metric further worsened over the follow-up period.