Recent research published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science evaluated choroidal and optic disc alterations in eyes with thyroid eye disease (TED) using ultra-widefield (UWF) full-range swept-source OCTA (SS-OCTA). The study found a significant reduction in choroidal thickness in the optic disc region during the dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) phase. This was accompanied by an increased optic disc area compared to inactive TED and a decreased retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) vessel density compared to healthy controls.

The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) showed significant differences across various regions and stages of TED, indicating substantial vascular changes throughout disease progression. Additionally, in DON, both choroidal stromal volume (CSV) and choroidal vascular volume (CVV) were significantly reduced compared to normal eyes, while CVI was higher — suggesting that stromal atrophy is a prominent feature in TED development.

A 400kHz high-speed swept-source OCTA system (BMizar, TowardPi Medical) was utilized in this study to investigate UWF choroidal and optic disc changes. With AI-assisted segmentation algorithms and built-in analytical software, the device enables the assessment of comprehensive choroidal parameters — including CVI, CVV, CSV, and CSI — with high reproducibility, offering potential as valuable biomarkers.

This research was led by Prof. Yi Wang and colleagues from Peking University Third Hospital.

Link to original article: https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2802573