Three-dimensional analysis of choroidal vessels in eyes with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease before and after treatment

Abstract

Objective: To investigate a 3-dimensional analysis of choroidal vessels using binarization of ultrawide-field indocyanine green angiography (UWFICGA) images and swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) images before and after treatment in eyes with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease.

Methods: Seven eyes of 7 patients (2 men and 5 women; mean age, 48.3 years) with VKH disease and 8 control eyes of 8 patients (4 men and 4 women; mean age, 47.6 years) who visited from August 1, 2015, through July 31, 2017, were enrolled. UWF fluorescein angiography images were subtracted from UWFICGA images in all patients to evaluate the choroidal vessel densities. A vertical analysis of the choroid also was performed in the same way with SS-OCT images.

Results: At the acute stage of VKH disease, the mean choroidal vascular densities in both posterior and mid-peripheral areas were significantly (p < 0.01) lower than in control eyes, and recovered after the treatment. In addition, the choroidal stroma significantly (p < 0.01) decreased after the treatment and the choroidal lumina significantly (p < 0.01) increased.

Conclusions: Current results suggest that diffuse cellular infiltration into the choroidal stroma might compress choroidal vessels and the change would resolve after treatment.