Retinal Capillary Abnormalities in Sjögren-Larsson Syndrome Maculopathy

Abstract

Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is a neurometabolic disease with a peculiar crystalline maculopathy. It is yet unclear if vascular abnormalities play a role in SLS maculopathy pathogenesis. We used optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) to search for vessel abnormalities in SLS maculopathy. We performed a cross-sectional study in 4 patients (2 males, 2 females, aged 12–36 years) with various stages of SLS maculopathy. Besides OCT-A imaging, a complete ophthalmological examination and additional retinal imaging by transversal and en face spectral domain (SD) OCT were performed. OCT-A images were qualitatively assessed for vascular abnormalities, and imaging was compared to eight eyes of four healthy controls. On OCT-A, all eyes of patients with SLS showed a reduced capillary density around the fovea, and an enlarged foveal avascular zone (FAZ; SLS patients [n = 6 eyes] mean 0.70 mm2 [SD 0.18]; healthy controls [n = 8 eyes] mean 0.34 mm2 [SD 0.07], p = 0.004). In 2 patients, telangiectatic vessels were seen in the deep capillary layer. In conclusion, OCT angiography showed capillary paucity and morphological vessel abnormalities in these 4 patients with SLS.

Keywords

• foveal avascular zone
• maculopathy
• optical coherence tomography angiography
• retinal capillaries
• sjögren-larsson syndrome