Assessment of choriocapillaris and choroidal vascular changes in posterior uveitis using swept-source wide-field optical coherence tomography angiography

Purpose To evaluate choriocapillaris (CC) and choroidal vascular changes in patients with posterior uveitis using swept-source (SS) wide-field optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).Method Consecutive patients with posterior uveitis were evaluated using 3x3 mm and 12x12 mm OCTA scan patterns and montage images of 5x12x12 mm or 2x15x9 mm, covering approximately 70 & DEG;-90? of the retina. The images were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed and compared with healthy controls.Results Eighty-six eyes of 56 patients with posterior uveitis (mean age 45.2 +/- 19.9 years; 58.9% female), and 38 eyes of 19 age-matched healthy controls (57.9% female) were included. The mean perfusion density (PD) in 3x3 mm and 12x12 mm CC scans was significantly lower in eyes with posterior uveitis compared with those of healthy controls. However, no significant difference in the mean PD of choroidal scans was found comparing eyes with posterior uveitis and healthy controls. The mean PD in eyes with active disease was significantly higher compared with the inactive eyes on 12x12 mm choroidal scans (55.61% vs 51.25%, p=0.02), while no difference was found in the CC slabs.Conclusion CC and choroidal assessment using OCTA provides useful information in patients with posterior uveitis. SS-OCTA metrics of the CC and choroidal slabs are promising tools in uveitis patients in the future.

Automated summary

Swept-source wide-field OCTA was used to evaluate CC and choroidal vascular changes in patients with posterior uveitis. The results showed that the mean perfusion density in CC scans was significantly lower in uveitis patients compared to healthy controls, while no significant difference was found in choroidal scans. Patients in the active phase had higher mean perfusion density compared to the inactive phase in choroidal scans. Conclusion: OCTA provides valuable information in patients with posterior uveitis, and CC and choroidal metrics using SS-OCTA have potential in uveitis management.