Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristic findings in patients with geographic atrophy with or without hyperautofluorescent choroidal vessels within macular atrophic areas on short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence imaging.
Procedures: Sixty-seven eyes of 43 consecutive patients with macular atrophic areas were divided into groups with (group 1) and without (group 2) hyperautofluorescent choroidal vessels on fundus autofluorescence imaging and then retrospectively studied using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
Results: In group 1 (n = 21), the average subfoveal choroidal thickness was 61.5 ± 20.1 μm, and the average foveal retinal thickness was 93.0 ± 51.3 μm. On the other hand, in group 2 (n = 46), the average subfoveal choroidal thickness was 200.7 ± 83.1 μm, and the average foveal retinal thickness was 109.2 ± 58.5 μm. Although retinal thickness did not differ significantly between the two groups (p = 0.28), the difference in choroidal thickness was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Choroidal thinning might contribute to the hyperautofluorescence of choroidal vessels.
© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.