Choriocapillaris flow loss in center-involving retinitis pigmentosa: a quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography study using a novel classification system

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Abstract

Purpose: Choriocapillaris insufficiency may play a role in centripetal retinitis pigmentosa (RP) progression involving the fovea. However, the relationship between choriocapillaris integrity and foveal damage in RP is unclear. We examined the relationship between choriocapillaris flow and the presence of foveal photoreceptor involvement in RP. Methods: We categorized the severity of central involvement in RP by the occurrence of foveal ellipsoid zone (EZ) disruption: present (severe RP) or absent (mild RP). Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA, AngioVue, Optovue) in cases and unaffected age-matched controls, we compared vessel density (VD) between the groups using the generalized linear mixed model, controlling for age, gender, and scan quality. Results: Fifty-seven eyes (20 severe RP, 18 mild RP, and 19 controls) were included. Foveal and parafoveal mean outer retinal thickness (µm) were lower in severe RP (fovea: 101.3 ± 14.5; parafovea: 68.4 ± 11.7) than controls (fovea: 161.2 ± 8.9; parafovea: 142.1 ± 11.8; p ≤ 0.001) and mild RP (fovea: 162.0 ± 14.7; parafovea: 116.8 ± 29.4; p ≤ 0.0001). Foveal choriocapillaris VD (%) was lower in severe RP (56.7 ± 6.8) than controls (69.9 ± 4.6; p = 0.008) and mild RP (65.3 ± 5.3; p = 0.01). The parafoveal choriocapillaris VD was lower in severe RP than controls (64.4 ± 5.9 vs. 68.3 ± 4.1; p = 0.04) but no different than in mild RP (p = 0.4). Conclusion: Choriocapillaris flow loss was associated with fovea-involving photoreceptor damage in RP. Further research is warranted to validate this putative association and clarify causation. Choriocapillaris imaging using OCTA may provide information to supplement structural OCT findings when evaluating subjects with RP in neuroprotective or regenerative clinical trials.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3235-3242
Number of pages8
JournalGraefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Volume259
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2021

Keywords

  • Fovea
  • Gene therapy
  • Imaging biomarkers
  • Inherited retinal diseases
  • Photoreceptor cells
  • Stem cell therapy
  • Vascular insufficiency
  • Vessel density
  • Visual acuity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology
  • Sensory Systems
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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