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The following is a summary of “Longitudinal changes in choroidal thickness and choroidal vascularity index in age-related macular degeneration,” published in the November 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Vidal-Oliver et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the rate of choroidal thinning and changes in the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) in eyes with different stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared to control eyes.  

They assessed 105 eyes, categorized into non-advanced (n=46), exudative (n=28), central cRORA (n=5), and healthy (n=26) groups, choroidal thickness (CT) and CVI were assessed at baseline and during 2-4 years of follow-up. After adjusting for age and sex, they calculated the annual rate of change in CT and CVI for each group. Additionally, logistic regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between baseline CT and CVI and the progression of AMD.  

The results showed that the mean age of the patients was 77.1 years, with an average follow-up period of 3.36 years. The baseline CT and CVI were higher in healthy eyes compared to eyes affected by AMD. Exudative AMD demonstrated a significant annual reduction in subfoveal CT (-5.1% per year), compared to a decrease of -3.5% in healthy eyes and in the temporal and nasal sectors, with reductions of -5.3% and -6.3%, respectively, CVI declined over time in all groups, with the most significant decrease observed in eyes with central cRORA (-1.09% per year).  

Investigators concluded CVI and CT were lower in eyes with AMD than in healthy eyes, with the highest annual rate of CT observed in exudative AMD and the most significant CVI reduction in central cRORA, suggesting that CT and CVI may help further stratify AMD progression risk. 

Source: karger.com/ore/article/doi/10.1159/000541481/915498/Longitudinal-changes-in-choroidal-thickness-and