Choriocapillaris alteration in patients with paracentral acute middle maculopathy

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate with optical coherence tomography angiography the status of the choriocapillaris in the eyes of patients with resolved paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM). Methods Nine patients with unilateral resolved PAMM, 14 age-matched healthy individuals, and 16 age-matched patients with unilateral retinal vein occlusion (RVO) were included. The choriocapillaris flow area, and the number of choriocapillaris flow voids was compared between the eyes of healthy individuals, both eyes of the PAMM patients, and the fellow eyes of unilateral RVO patients. Results The number of choriocapillaris flow voids in the unaffected eyes of PAMM patients was statistically significantly higher than in the eyes of healthy individuals (p < 0.001) and in the fellow eyes of unilateral RVO patients (p = 0.022). The choriocapillaris flow area in the unaffected eyes of PAMM patients was statistically significantly lower than in the eyes of healthy individuals (p < 0.001) and in the fellow eyes of unilateral RVO patients (p = 0.019). There was no difference in the status of the choriocapillaris between two eyes of PAMM patients. Conclusion Eyes of patients with resolved PAMM have a substantial decrease of choriocapillaris perfusion.