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Acta Ophthalmologica Sep 2021Recent improvements in ophthalmic imaging have led to the identification of a thickened choroid or pachychoroid to be associated with a number of retinal diseases. The... (Review)
Review
Recent improvements in ophthalmic imaging have led to the identification of a thickened choroid or pachychoroid to be associated with a number of retinal diseases. The number of conditions linked to this phenotype has continued to widen with specific endophenotypes found within the pachychoroid spectrum. The spectrum includes choroidal features such as focal or diffuse choroidal thickening and thinning of the overlying inner choroid, and choroidal hyperpermeability as demonstrated by indocyanine green angiography. In addition, these diseases are associated with overlying retinal pigmentary changes and retinal pigment epithelial dysfunction and may also be associated with choroidal neovascularization. This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature looking at diseases currently described within the pachychoroid spectrum including central serous chorioretinopathy, pachychoroid pigment epitheliopathy, pachychoroid neovasculopathy, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy/aneurysmal type 1 neovascularization, peripapillary pachychoroid disease and focal choroidal excavation. We particularly focus on clinical imaging, genetics and pathological findings in these conditions with the aim of updating evidence suggesting a common aetiology between diseases within the pachychoroid spectrum.
Topics: Choroid; Choroid Diseases; Fluorescein Angiography; Fundus Oculi; Humans; Retinal Pigment Epithelium; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 33258304
DOI: 10.1111/aos.14683 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Nov 2019The human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid are complex tissues that provide crucial support to the retina. Disease affecting either of these supportive...
The human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid are complex tissues that provide crucial support to the retina. Disease affecting either of these supportive tissues can lead to irreversible blindness in the setting of age-related macular degeneration. In this study, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on macular and peripheral regions of RPE-choroid from 7 human donor eyes in 2 independent experiments. In the first experiment, total RPE/choroid preparations were evaluated and expression profiles specific to RPE and major choroidal cell populations were identified. As choroidal endothelial cells represent a minority of the total RPE/choroidal cell population but are strongly implicated in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis, a second single-cell RNA-sequencing experiment was performed using endothelial cells enriched by magnetic separation. In this second study, we identified gene expression signatures along the choroidal vascular tree, classifying the transcriptome of human choriocapillaris, arterial, and venous endothelial cells. We found that the choriocapillaris highly and specifically expresses the regulator of cell cycle gene (), a gene that responds to complement activation and induces apoptosis in endothelial cells. In addition, was the most up-regulated choriocapillaris gene in a donor diagnosed with AMD. These results provide a characterization of the human RPE and choriocapillaris transcriptome, offering potential insight into the mechanisms of choriocapillaris response to complement injury and choroidal vascular disease in age-related macular degeneration.
Topics: Choroid; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium; Humans; Macular Degeneration; Retina; Single-Cell Analysis; Transcriptome
PubMed: 31712411
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914143116 -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... May 2023The choroid is the richly vascular layer of the eye located between the sclera and Bruch's membrane. Early studies in animals, as well as more recent studies in humans,... (Review)
Review
The choroid is the richly vascular layer of the eye located between the sclera and Bruch's membrane. Early studies in animals, as well as more recent studies in humans, have demonstrated that the choroid is a dynamic, multifunctional structure, with its thickness directly and indirectly subject to modulation by a variety of physiologic and visual stimuli. In this review, the anatomy and function of the choroid are summarized and links between the choroid, eye growth regulation, and myopia, as demonstrated in animal models, discussed. Methods for quantifying choroidal thickness in the human eye and associated challenges are described, the literature examining choroidal changes in response to various visual stimuli and refractive error-related differences are summarized, and the potential implications of the latter for myopia are considered. This review also allowed for the reexamination of the hypothesis that short-term changes in choroidal thickness induced by pharmacologic, optical, or environmental stimuli are predictive of future long-term changes in axial elongation, and the speculation that short-term choroidal thickening can be used as a biomarker of treatment efficacy for myopia control therapies, with the general conclusion that current evidence is not sufficient.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Axial Length, Eye; Choroid; Bruch Membrane; Myopia; Models, Animal; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 37126359
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.6.4 -
Acta Ophthalmologica Nov 2021Myopia is the most common type of refractive errors characterized by excessive elongation of the ocular globe. With the increasing prevalence of myopia, improved... (Review)
Review
Myopia is the most common type of refractive errors characterized by excessive elongation of the ocular globe. With the increasing prevalence of myopia, improved knowledge of factors involved in myopia development is of particular importance. There are growing evidence suggesting that the choroid plays an important role in the regulation of eye growth and the development of myopia. Studies have demonstrated that thinning choroid is a structural feature of myopia, with a negative correlation between choroidal thickness and axial length, suggesting that the change in choroidal thickness may be a predictive biomarker for long-term changes in ocular elongation. Given the fact that the choroid is primarily a vascular structure capable of rapidly changing blood flow, variations of choroidal thickness might be primarily caused by changes in choroidal blood flow. Considering that hypoxia is associated with myopia and choroidal blood flow is the main source of oxygen and nourishment supply, apart from the effect on myopia possibly by changing choroidal thickness, decreasing choroidal blood flow may contribute to scleral ischaemia and hypoxia, resulting in alterations in the scleral structure and thus leading to myopia. This review aims to provide an overview of recent work exploring the influence of the choroid on myopia from perspectives of choroidal thickness and blood flow, which may present new predictive indicators for the onset of myopia and new targets for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for myopia.
Topics: Choroid; Disease Progression; Humans; Myopia; Regional Blood Flow; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 33550704
DOI: 10.1111/aos.14773 -
JAMA Ophthalmology Feb 2021Noninvasive retinal imaging may detect structural changes associated with Parkinson disease (PD) and may represent a novel biomarker for disease detection.
IMPORTANCE
Noninvasive retinal imaging may detect structural changes associated with Parkinson disease (PD) and may represent a novel biomarker for disease detection.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize alterations in the structure and microvasculature of the retina and choroid in eyes of individuals with PD and compare them with eyes of age- and sex-matched cognitively healthy control individuals using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA).
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Duke Neurological Disorders Clinic in Durham, North Carolina. Individuals aged 50 years or older with a diagnosis of PD were eligible for inclusion and underwent an evaluation and diagnosis confirmation before enrollment. Control individuals aged 50 years or older and without subjective cognitive dysfunction, a history of tremor, or evidence of motor dysfunction consistent with parkinsonism were solicited from the clinic or the Duke Alzheimer's Disease Prevention Registry. Individuals with diabetes, glaucoma, retinal pathology, other dementias, and corrected Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity worse than 20/40 Snellen were excluded. Data were analyzed between January 1, 2020, and March 30, 2020.
EXPOSURES
All participants underwent OCT and OCTA imaging.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Generalized estimating equation analysis was used to characterize the association between imaging parameters and PD diagnosis. Superficial capillary plexus vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PFD) were assessed within the ETDRS 6 × 6-mm circle, 6 × 6-mm inner ring, and 6 × 6-mm outer ring, as was the foveal avascular zone area. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness, central subfield thickness, subfoveal choroidal thickness, total choroidal area, luminal area, and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were measured.
RESULTS
A total of 124 eyes of 69 participants with PD (39 men [56.5%]; mean [SD] age, 71.7 [7.0] years) and 248 eyes of 137 control participants (77 men [56.2%]; mean [SD] age, 70.9 [6.7] years) were analyzed. In the 6 × 6-mm ETDRS circle, VD (β coefficient = 0.37; 95% CI, 0.04-0.71; P = .03) and PFD (β coefficient = 0.009; 95% CI, 0.0003-0.018; P = .04) were lower in eyes of participants with PD. In the inner ring of the 6 × 6-mm ETDRS circle, VD (β coefficient = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.20-1.02; P = .003) and PFD (β coefficient = 0.015; 95% CI, 0.005-0.026; P = .004) were lower in eyes of participants with PD. Total choroidal area (β coefficient = -1.74 units2; 95% CI, -3.12 to -0.37 units2; P = .01) and luminal area (β coefficient = -1.02 units2; 95% CI, -1.86 to -0.18 units2; P = .02) were greater, but CVI was lower (β coefficient = 0.5%; 95% CI, 0.2%-0.8%; P < .001) in eyes of individuals with PD.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This study found that individuals with PD had decreased retinal VD and PFD as well as choroidal structural changes compared with age- and sex-matched control participants. Given the observed population differences in these noninvasive retinal biomarkers, further research into their clinical utility in PD is needed.
Topics: Aged; Angiography; Case-Control Studies; Choroid; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Microvascular Density; Microvessels; Middle Aged; North Carolina; Parkinson Disease; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Regional Blood Flow; Retinal Vessels; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 33355613
DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.5730 -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... Jan 2021To explore the association of choroidal vascularity and choriocapillaris blood perfusion with myopic severity in anisomyopes.
PURPOSE
To explore the association of choroidal vascularity and choriocapillaris blood perfusion with myopic severity in anisomyopes.
METHODS
Refractive error, axial length (AL), and other biometric parameters were measured in 34 anisomyopic young adults. Macular choroidal thickness (ChT) and choroidal vascularity, including total choroidal area (TCA), luminal area (LA), stromal area (SA), and choroidal vascularity index (CVI), were determined from swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) vertical and horizontal B-scans. The percentage of choriocapillaris flow voids (FV%) was obtained from en face SS-OCT-angiography.
RESULTS
The spherical equivalent refraction (SER) was -3.35 ± 1.25 diopters in the more myopic eyes and -1.25 ± 1.17 diopters in the less myopic eyes (P < 0.001). The interocular difference in SER was highly correlated with that in AL (P < 0.001). The macular ChT, TCA, LA, and SA were smaller in the more myopic eyes than in the less myopic eyes in both vertical and horizontal scans (all P < 0.001). Importantly, the CVIs in vertical and horizontal scans were smaller and the FV% was greater in the more myopic eyes (P < 0.05). In vertical scans, the interocular difference in CVIs was correlated with that in the SER, AL, and ChT (all P < 0.05). The interocular difference in FV% was correlated with that in SER, AL, and vertical and horizontal ChTs (all P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Choroidal vascularity and choriocapillaris blood perfusion were lower in the more myopic eyes of anisomyopic adults. These changes were correlated with the severity of myopia and choroidal thinning, indicating that choroidal blood flow is disturbed in human myopia.
Topics: Adult; Anisometropia; Biometry; Blood Physiological Phenomena; Choroid; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Humans; Male; Myopia; Refraction, Ocular; Regional Blood Flow; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Young Adult
PubMed: 33393974
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.1.8 -
Revista de La Facultad de Ciencias... Mar 2022To provide a complete picture and to improve understanding of the serpiginous-like choroiditis caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To provide a complete picture and to improve understanding of the serpiginous-like choroiditis caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Literature review of serpiginous-like choroiditis. A number of scientific search engines were searched including Medline (PubMed), Scielo, and Cochrane Library. Using MeSH and DeCS terms.
RESULTS
107 articles were obtained, of which 44 met inclusion criteria.
DISCUSSION
serpiginous-like choroiditis is described as its etiology, pathogenesis, ocular findings, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Modern studies are needed to understand the pathophysiology, new diagnostic strategies, and future treatments of serpiginous-like choroiditis
Topics: Choroiditis; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans
PubMed: 35312256
DOI: 10.31053/1853.0605.v79.n1.32223 -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... Nov 2023The purpose of this study was to describe the presence of choroidal hyper-reflective foci (HRF) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with geographic atrophy...
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to describe the presence of choroidal hyper-reflective foci (HRF) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with geographic atrophy (GA). The relationship between the presence and quantity of choroidal HRF and other clinical and imaging factors was also investigated.
METHODS
A total of 40 participants (40 eyes) with GA and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were retrospectively analyzed. OCT images were reviewed for the presence, characteristics, and localization of choroidal HRF. The amount of choroidal HRF was quantified in different choroidal layers by two different (i.e. threshold reflectivity and manual counting) methodologies. The primary outcome was to describe and quantify choroidal HRF and correlate them with GA lesion size.
RESULTS
Structural OCT images showed that all patients had multiple hyper-reflective deposits in different layers of the choroid. These hyper-reflective deposits in the choroid were located near Bruch's membrane or the edges of the blood vessels, particularly in the Sattler's layer, and none were observed inside the vessels. Choroidal HRF exhibited variable size and shape and varying effects on the posterior signal, including shadowing or hypertransmission. Mean ± SD number of choroidal HRF per B-scan was 21.5 ± 15.4 using the threshold reflectivity methodology and 25.1 ± 16.0 using the manual counting methodology. A significant correlation between the untransformed GA size and number of HRF was found, considering both quantitative strategies.
CONCLUSIONS
Hyper-reflective dots in the choroid of subjects with GA may be readily identified with structural OCT. These HRF might represent a natural component of the choroid that becomes more visible due to the absence of the retinal pigment epithelium.
Topics: Humans; Geographic Atrophy; Retrospective Studies; Choroid; Macular Degeneration; Bruch Membrane; Retinal Pigment Epithelium; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Fluorescein Angiography
PubMed: 37922157
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.14.5 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2022Stargardt disease is the commonest juvenile macular dystrophy. It is caused by genetic mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Diagnosis is not always straightforward, and various... (Review)
Review
Stargardt disease is the commonest juvenile macular dystrophy. It is caused by genetic mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Diagnosis is not always straightforward, and various phenocopies exist. Late-onset disease can be misdiagnosed with age-related macular disease. A correct diagnosis is particularly critical because of emergent gene therapies. Stargardt disease is known to affect retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. Many studies have also highlighted the importance of the choroid in the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and progression of the disease. The choroid is in an integral relationship with the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, and its possible involvement during the disease should be considered. The purpose of this review is to analyze the current diagnostic tools for choroidal evaluation and the extrapolation of useful data for ophthalmologists and researchers studying the disease.
Topics: ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; Choroid; Fluorescein Angiography; Humans; Retinal Pigment Epithelium; Stargardt Disease; Tomography, Optical Coherence
PubMed: 35886953
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147607 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology Jun 2022
Topics: Choroid; Humans
PubMed: 35647952
DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_2683_21