Retinal and choroidal circulation in patients with lattice retinal degeneration: optical coherence tomography-angiography study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are insufficient data covering retinal and choroidal microcirculation in eyes with lattice retinal degeneration. AIM: To investigate retinal and choroidal circulation in eyes with lattice retinal degeneration using optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 10 patients with lattice retinal degeneration and 12 healthy individuals. All subjects underwent OCTA examination of the macula. Additionally, in four patients, OCTA within the area of lattice retinal degeneration was performed. RESULTS: Retinal capillary non-perfusion, disorganization of retinal layers, a decrease of choriocapillaris perfusion, and choroidal thinning were found within the area of lattice degeneration in all cases. In the macula, the perfusion area in the choriocapillaris slab in the eyes with lattice degeneration and controls was 6.40 0.21 and 6.19 0.21 mm2 (p 0.05), respectively. The number of flow voids in the choriocapillaris in the eyes with lattice degeneration and controls eyes was 40.6 23.0 and 65.1 25.7 (p 0.05), respectively. The total area of flow voids in the choriocapillaris slab in the eyes with lattice degeneration and in controls eyes was 0.49 0.04 and 0.54 0.04 mm2 (p 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The status the choroidal and choriocapillaris perfusion may play an important role in pathophysiology of the lattice retinal degeneration.