Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the correlation between retinal and choroidal vasculature and macular function in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and microperimetry.
Methods :
This retrospective study included 61 eyes of 41 patients with dry AMD. OCTA was performed to evaluate retinal and choroidal vasculature including the vessel density, perfusion density, foveal avascular zone (FAZ), choroid vasculature index value (CVI), mean choroidal thickness value (MCT), and choriocapillaris flow voids. We analyzed reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), soft drusen (SD), other drusen, and geographic atrophy (GA) and evaluated macular involvement. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and microperimetry were measured at baseline and 1 year.
Results :
At baseline, the RPD group showed significantly smaller MCT (158.99±53.07 µm), CVI (0.57±0.02), deep vascular density (9.10±4.33 mm/mm2), and deep perfusion density (0.18±0.09) than the non-RPD group (207.69±59.49 µm, p=0.004 ; 0.58±0.01, p=0.027 ; 13.04±2.52 mm/mm2, p=0.003 ; 0.27±0.05, p=0.003). Macular sensitivity was positively correlated with MCT (r=0.284, p=0.038) and parafoveal CVI (r=0.389, p=0.004). There was no significant change in macular sensitivity from baseline (19.96±3.80) to 1 year (19.56±4.57, p=0.185). but There was a significant difference in the change of macular sensitivity for 1 year between the GA group (-1.86±1.50 dB/year) and the non-GA group (0.22±1.26 dB/year, p=0.001).
Conclusions :
The presence of RPD can be associated with decreased retinal and choroidal blood flow. Integrated evaluation of dry AMD by using OCTA and microperimetry shows an assocation between choroidal vasculature and macular sensitivity. Macular sensitivity can decrease more rapidly in patients with GA than in patients without GA.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.