Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate peripapillary and macular choroidal thickness (CT) of patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with or without reticular pseudodrusens (RPD).<br />
Methods:
We investigated the medical records of 89 eyes of 89 patients with early AMD. Eyes with early AMD were categorized into three groups according to the extent of RPD; no RPD, localized RPD, and diffuse RPD. Peripapillary and macular CT were measured with images obtained by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). CT in peripapillary and macular area was compared among groups.<br />
Results:
Both RPD groups were older and female-predominant than non-RPD group (P = 0.007 and P = 0.030, respectively). Macular and peripapillary CT were different among three groups (all, P < 0.001) and both RPD group showed thinner choroid at all areas than those of non-RPD group after adjustment of age and sex (all, P ≤ 0.016). Temporal peripapillary and nasal macular CT at 500 µm and 1500 µm from the fovea in eyes with diffuse RPD were significantly thinner than those in eyes with localized RPD (P = 0.008 , P < 0.001 and P = 0.018 respectively).<br />
Conclusions:
In addition to macular area, peripapillary CT including outside of macula was thinner in eyes with RPD than those without RPD. The papillomacular choroid showed significant changes according to the distribution type of RPD. This result may suggest that choroidal thinning is associated with RPD progression.