Distinguishing Microvasculature Features of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada in Patients in Acute and Convalescent Phases Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2021 Apr 3;29(3):465-471. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2019.1695856. Epub 2020 Jan 3.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate retinal and choroidal microvascular features of VKH patients in acute and convalescent phases after treatment using OCTA.Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted in patients with initial VKH at the acute stage (n = 15) and healthy participants (n = 15) served as controls. After 3-month systemic corticosteroid treatment, patients' vascular parameters were recorded by OCTA before and after treatment and compared with results observed in healthy participants.Results: Our findings first uncovered that there are two types of abnormalities in the choriocapillary layer of patients with VKH in the acute stage: one is characterized as multiple dark spots of choriocapillary flow void and the other involves highly reflective areas surrounded by light spots with an increased flow area. During the convalescent stage, all eyes showed multifocal dark spots in the choriocapillary layer, leading to a reduced choroidal flow area.Conclusions: OCTA provides a better display of the microvascular appearance of the choroid to noninvasively evaluate choriocapillaris abnormalities in VKH disease.

Keywords: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease; choriocapillary; flow area; microvasculature; vessel density.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Choroid / blood supply*
  • Choroid / diagnostic imaging
  • Ciliary Arteries / diagnostic imaging
  • Ciliary Arteries / physiopathology*
  • Computed Tomography Angiography
  • Convalescence
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microvessels
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Retinal Vessels / diagnostic imaging
  • Retinal Vessels / physiopathology*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / diagnostic imaging
  • Uveomeningoencephalitic Syndrome / physiopathology*
  • Young Adult