Optical Coherence Tomography Findings of Underlying Choroidal Neovascularization in Punctate Inner Choroidopathy

Aniruddha Agarwal; Sabia Handa; Alessandro Marchese; Salvatore Parrulli; Alessandro Invernizzi; Roel J Erckens; Tos T J M Berendschot; C A B Webers; Reema Bansal; Vishali Gupta

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.758370

Optical Coherence Tomography Findings of Underlying Choroidal Neovascularization in Punctate Inner Choroidopathy

Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Dec 22:8:758370. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.758370. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Advanced Eye Center, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
² Cleveland Clinic, Eye Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Ospedale San Raffaele, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
⁴ Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science "Luigi Sacco," Eye Clinic, Luigi Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
⁵ Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁶ Maastricht University Medical Centre+, University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze findings on optical coherence tomography (OCT) suggestive of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in lesions of punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC). Methods: In this multi-center retrospective study, clinical data of patients with PIC were retrospectively analyzed. Quantitative data (height, width, and volume of PIC lesions), and qualitative data (disruption of ellipsoid zone (EZ)/Bruch's membrane (BM), outer retinal fuzziness, and choroidal back-shadowing) were compared between CNV+ and CNV- groups using Mann-Whitney U-test and Fischer's exact test. Results: In total, 35 eyes (29 patients; 21 women; mean age: 33.3 ± 6.5 years) were selected for analysis. Of the 35 PIC lesions studied, 17 had underlying CNV. Lesions with CNV+ had larger height, width, and volume (p < 0.001) and several distinctive features, such as disruption of EZ and BM, outer retinal fuzziness, and hypo-reflective back-shadowing (p < 0.001) compared with CNV-lesions. Conclusions: Quantitative and qualitative OCT analysis can aid in the prediction of an underlying CNV in the eyes with PIC.

Keywords: choroidal neovascularization; imaging; optical coherence tomography; optical coherence tomography angiography; punctate inner choroidopathy; uveitis.