Choriocapillaris perfusion assessed using optical coherence tomography angiography depends on eye color and projection artifact removal.

AIM

To study variation of choriocapillaris perfusion displayed with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in dependence of the eye pigmentation.

METHODS

Healthy individuals and patients with resolved central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) with blue or brown eyes were enrolled in this study. Analysis of choriocapillaris flow voids number was performed based on averaged 3 mm OCTA scans with and without projection artifact removal (PAR). The number and total area of flow voids taken every 1000 µm between 1 and 5000 µm, was calculated and compared between blue and brown eyes.

RESULTS

Thirty-six healthy individuals and 28 CSCR patients were included. When PAR was active, brown eyes showed a statistically significant higher number (p < 0.05) and total area (p < 0.05) of large (1000 to 5000 µm) choriocapillaris flow voids compared to blue eyes, in both healthy and CSCR eyes. No statistically significant difference was found in either number or total area of choriocapillaris flow voids (p > 0.05) between brown and blue eyes after inactivation of PAR. The number of large flow voids in CSCR eyes was statistically significantly higher than in healthy eyes, 316.4 ± 141.3 and 112.9 ± 60.1 (p < 0.001), respectively. Similarly, this difference was also statistically significant with inactivated PAR, 180.1 ± 96.9 and 54.9 ± 36.9, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

OCTA displays more flow voids in the choriocapillaris in brown eyes than in blue. This difference results from the activity of PAR.