Purpose:.This study was designed to measure the changes in the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and choroidal max-imal vessel diameter(MVD) of the affected and unaffected fel-low eyes in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and compare them to healthy controls.
Methods:.In this cross-sectional observational clinical study, SFCT and MVD were measured in both eyes of 53 patients with unilateral PCV. PCV eyes were subgrouped into group A and unaffected fellow eyes into group B. All patients were di-agnosed with PCV by fundus fluorescein angiography. (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography. (ICGA). Sixty age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were enrolled in the control group (group C).
Results:.No statistical difference was observed among groups in age and gender. Overall, SFCT was correlated with MVD in all subjects (P<0.001; correlation coefficient: 0.759). P values were < 0.001 with a correlation coefficient of 0.686, 0.801, and 0.808 in groups A, B, and C, respectively. No statistical significance was noted in SFCT among groups A (266.45±99.51μm),B(269.57 ± 105.10μm),and C (243.83± 99.68 μm) (P=0.335)..However,.the MVD in group A was (202.55 ±72.45 μm),.significantly larger than that in group C (166.45 ±56.18 μm,P=0.008),.while the MVD in group B (194.75±85.27μm) was equally significantly greater than that in group C (166.45 ± 56.18μm)(P=0.038).
Conclusion:.For both PCV patients and healthy subjects, SFCT was positively correlated with MVD. No statistical sig-nificance was noted in SFCT between PCV eyes and unaffect-ed fellow/normal eyes..However,.MVD was significantly larg-er in the PCV affected eyes than in unaffected fellow or nor-mal control eyes,.suggesting that MVD could be considered as a sensitive indicator to evaluate choroidal perfusion in PCV patients. (Eye Science 2014; 29:20-24).