Optical Coherence Tomography with Angiography in Behçet Uveitis

Abstract

Purpose: Behçet uveitis is a cause of retinal vasculitis, with fluorescein angiography being the gold-standard diagnostic exam. Optical coherence tomography with angiography (OCT-A) is a non-invasive exam that analyzes macular retinal circulation with high resolution, and therefore, could be a useful diagnostic exam in these patients. Material and methods: Analysis of 14 eyes of 8 patients with Behçet uveitis from our institution that were examined by OCT A (AngioPlex®, Zeiss). Macular morphology, area, perimeter and circularity of the foveal avascular zone, as well as central internal and global macular vascular density were evaluated. We compared our results with healthy controls. Results: Mean visual acuity in the patient’s subgroup was 0,84±0,25 and 3 eyes had previous diagnosis of retinal vasculitis with fluorescein angiography. Morphologically we found attenuation of the superficial and deep capillary plexus in 8 eyes, and in 1 of these eyes atrophy of the internal retinal layers was also found in a localized territory. In the foveal avascular area, no statistically significant changes were observed in its area and perimeter (p=0.804 and p=0.380 respectively), although we did find significant changes in its circularity (p=0.027). Vascular density was significantly altered in the internal (p=0.023) and global (p=0.028) macular parameters. Conclusion: We found changes in the macular micro-circulation in patients with Behçet uveitis, even in the absence of angiographic changes. Future studies with more patients are necessary to understand the clinical significance of these changes.

Keywords

• angiography; behçet uveitis; foveal avascular zone; optical coherence tomography angiography; vascular density.