Tao Mengying, Lan Ting, Zhu Yanjie, Xu Xiaoyu, Huang Chuangxin, Lin Ying, Luo Yan
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2025 Jul 29. doi: 10.1007/s00417-025-06907-5.
To investigate the characteristics of the vortex vein (VV) in healthy adults and patients with different fundus diseases using montaged ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (UWF SS-OCTA) images.
En face UWF SS-OCTA mosaic choroidal images in five fixation directions and macular scan were acquired in healthy adults, patients with normal choroidal thickness (retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy), patients with thick choroidal thickness (central serous chorioretinopathy and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy), and patients with thin choroidal thickness (retinitis pigmentosa, and high myopia). The frequency, morphology, anastomoses, asymmetry and vascularity index (CVI) of VVs were assessed.
The totality of VVs and macular CVI presented a gradual decline in the elderly (all P < 0.05). Anastomoses and asymmetric VVs appeared in normal eyes. The quantitation and morphology of VV in retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, and high myopia were not significantly different from those of controls. Macular CVI was reduced in retinitis pigmentosa and high myopia. There was an increased proportion of type I VV and a decrease in type IV VV in central serous chorioretinopathy and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy groups (both P < 0.05). CVI in central serous chorioretinopathy was elevated, while it remained unchanged in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. The anastomoses and asymmetry in both groups were higher than those of controls (all P < 0.05).
The distribution patterns of VVs exhibited similarity among healthy adults, patients with fundus diseases and normal choroidal thickness or thin choroidal thickness, with frequent observations of anastomoses and asymmetry. Notedly, pachychoroid diseases demonstrated a higher prevalence of high-resistance VVs (type IV), anastomoses, and asymmetry, which might drive pathogenesis of pachychoroid diseases.
使用拼接超广角扫频光学相干断层扫描血管造影（UWF SS-OCTA）图像，研究健康成年人及不同眼底疾病患者的涡静脉（VV）特征。
采集健康成年人、脉络膜厚度正常患者（视网膜静脉阻塞、糖尿病性视网膜病变）、脉络膜增厚患者（中心性浆液性脉络膜视网膜病变和息肉状脉络膜血管病变）以及脉络膜变薄患者（视网膜色素变性和高度近视）在五个注视方向的UWF SS-OCTA脉络膜正面镶嵌图像和黄斑扫描图像。评估涡静脉的频率、形态、吻合情况、不对称性和血管指数（CVI）。
老年人涡静脉总数和黄斑CVI呈逐渐下降趋势（均P<0.05）。正常眼中出现吻合和不对称涡静脉。视网膜静脉阻塞、糖尿病性视网膜病变、视网膜色素变性和高度近视患者的涡静脉定量和形态与对照组无显著差异。视网膜色素变性和高度近视患者黄斑CVI降低。中心性浆液性脉络膜视网膜病变和息肉状脉络膜血管病变组I型涡静脉比例增加，IV型涡静脉比例降低（均P<0.05）。中心性浆液性脉络膜视网膜病变CVI升高，而息肉状脉络膜血管病变CVI保持不变。两组的吻合和不对称性均高于对照组（均P<0.05）。
健康成年人、眼底疾病患者以及脉络膜厚度正常或变薄患者的涡静脉分布模式具有相似性，常观察到吻合和不对称情况。值得注意的是，厚脉络膜疾病中高阻力涡静脉（IV型）、吻合和不对称的发生率较高，这可能推动厚脉络膜疾病的发病机制。
