Central macular choriocapillaris impairment as a manifestation of microvascular disease in eyes with subretinal drusenoid deposits

Background/ObjectivesMicrovascular alterations and choroidal impairment are emerging as a pathologic pathway in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study aimed to evaluate the central macular choriocapillaris (CC) in eyes with subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) and the retinal microvasculature in patients with early AMD phenotypes.Subjects/MethodsThis was an institutional, multicentric observational cross-sectional study. Ninety-nine eyes of 99 subjects; 33 eyes with SDD only, 33 eyes with conventional drusen (CD) only, and 33 eyes of healthy age-matched subjects were included. Comprehensive ophthalmologic examination and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was performed. The central macular flow area of the CC was analysed in the SDD group and the vessel density of the retinal superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) was analysed in the SDD and CD groups using automated OCTA output parameters.ResultsThe flow area of the CC in the SDD group was significantly reduced (p & LE; 0.001) with respect to the healthy control group. There was a trend of reduction of vessel density of the SCP and the DCP in the SDD and CD group with respect to controls, although this did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionsOCTA data in the present report corroborate the role of vascular damage in early AMD with CC impairment in the central macular area in eyes with SDD.

Automated summary

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) on the central macular choriocapillaris (CC) and retinal microvasculature in patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) phenotypes. The results showed a significant reduction in the flow area of the CC in the SDD group. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend of reduction in vessel density of the superficial and deep capillary plexus in the SDD and conventional drusen (CD) groups.