Clinical Ophthalmology (Sep 2020)
Choroidal Cavitary Disorders
Abstract
Sandra Nassar,1 Aaron K Tarbett,2 David J Browning1 1Eye Department, Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates, Charlotte, NC 28210, USA; 2Eye Department, WG Hefner VA Medical System, Salisbury, NC 28144, USACorrespondence: Sandra NassarEye Department, Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates, 6035 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210, USAEmail [email protected]: The structure and functions of the choroid have been long acknowledged but the pathophysiology behind various anomalies has been difficult to understand until the advent of optical coherence tomography (OCT). With OCT imaging, choroidal cavitations appear as optically empty spaces between the outer retinal and choroidal layers with attenuation or loss of outer retinal layers. Choroidal cavitations are found in the posterior pole and seen in conditions such as pathologic myopia, north carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD), focal choroidal excavation (FCE), and torpedo maculopathy (TM). To date, these disorders have not been linked. A commonality they all share is malformation of the RPE-photoreceptor-choroid complex. The following report describes the differences and similarities of choroidal cavitation amongst the different retinal disorders and emphasizes the importance of multimodal imaging in the detection and management of potential complications.Keywords: peripapillary intrachoroidal cavitation, macular intrachoroidal cavitation, focal choroidal excavation, torpedo maculopathy, choroidal neovascularization
