Vortex vein anastomosis in pachychoroid spectum diseases

Author: Rim Bouraoui (Tunisia)

Co-authors: Iness Hachicha, Khaled El Matri, Maroua Masmoudi, Mohamed Hadj Khelifa, Yousra Falfoul, El Matri Leila

Purpose

To evaluate the presence of vortex veins anastomosis at the posterior pole in pachychoroid spectrum diseases, including non neovascular pachychoroid (pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy and central serous chorioretinopathy) and neovascular pachychoroid (pachychoroid neovasculopathy and aneurysmal neovascularisation type 1)

Setting/Venue

Hédi Raies Institute of ophthalmology, Department B, Tunis, Tunisia

Methods

In a retrospective study, we reviewed charts and imaging studies of 46 patients (74 eyes) with pachychoroid spectrum diseases; 50 eyes of non neovascular pachychoroid patients and 24 eyes of neovascular pachychoroid patients were included. All patients underwent multimodal imaging including fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and swept source optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography. Main evaluated parameters are presence of vortex vein anastomosis at the watershed area, noticed in indocyanine green angiography and en face OCT, and central choroidal thickness measured using swept source OCT (B scan).

Results

Patients of non neovascular pachychoroid group were the youngest (P inferior to 0.05). Central choroidal thickness was significantly greater in non neovascular pachychoroid group than neovascular pachychoroid group. Anastomosis between superior and inferior vortex veins were observed in 20.27% of eyes with pachychoroid spectrum diseases. Neovascular pachychoroid group presented higher rate of anastomosis than non neovascular pachychoroid group.

Conlusions

Anastomosis between superior and inferior vortex veins were found to be higher in neovascular pachychoroid and suggest the development of these anastomosis during the course of progression of pachychoroid spectrum diseases.

Financial Disclosure

None