The following is a summary of “Evaluation of choroidal thickness and choroidal vascularity index in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever,” published in the July 2023 issue of Opthalmology by Konuk et al.
Researchers started a retrospective study to compare the thickness of the choroid in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) to healthy individuals using spectral domain optical coherence tomography.
They included the right eyes of 27 individuals diagnosed with CCHF and 27 healthy subjects. The CCHF cases were assessed based on a history of tick bites and hospitalization. Choroidal thickness was measured at 5 different points, including the subfoveal quadrant and the fovea, using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography, with 1000 μm intervals up to 2000 μm in the temporal and nasal quadrants. The Choroidal Vascular Index (CVI) was calculated as the ratio of luminal area (LA) to total choroidal area (TCA) at the total macular area and 1500 μm from the center (CVI and CVI1500).
The results showed that Choroidal thickness in the CCHF group was more significant in each quadrant compared to the control group, with the subfoveal and nasal quadrants exhibiting significantly greater thickness. In the CCHF group, TCA, Stromal Area, and LA were substantially higher, with no significant difference in CVI and CVI1500.
Investigators concluded that CCHF disease may affect the choroid, a vascular eye layer.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10792-023-02817-9
