Quantitative changes in flow density in patients with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy: an OCT angiography study.

Purpose: To quantitatively compare the flow density, the retinal thickness, and the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) between patients with adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD) and a healthy controls.

Methods: Thirteen eyes (eight patients) with AOFVD and 13 matched eyes (13 patients) without any ocular pathology were included in this study. A 6 × 6 mm optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scan was performed for every included eye. The flow density (superficial retinal vascular layer, deep retinal vascular layer and choriocapillary layer), retinal thickness and FAZ (superficial retinal vascular layer and deep retinal vascular layer) were subsequently analyzed.

Results: The mean flow density was decreased in the AOFVD patients in all measured vascular layers. The difference from the control group was statistically significant in the parafoveal sector of the deep retinal vascular layer (P = 0.02), and a clear trend was found in the superficial retinal vascular layer (P = 0.05). Both groups had comparable FAZs in the superficial and deep retinal vascular layers. The retinal thickness values were higher in the fovea (P = 0.840) and lower in the parafoveal sectors (P = 0.125). The difference was significant in the superior parafoveal sector (P = 0.034).

Conclusions: Flow densities as measured by OCTA are decreased in the superficial retinal vascular layer and the deep retinal vascular layer in patients with AOFVD. These findings could be helpful for diagnosing and understanding the pathogenesis of this disease.