MACULAR VOLUME SCAN AS A MARKER OF ANGIOGRAPHIC UVEITIC RETINAL VASCULITIS: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

Abstract

To determine whether optical coherence tomography thickness values from macular volume scans can be used to detect uveitic retinal vasculitis. Retrospective study of patients with noninfectious retinal vasculitis. Fluorescein angiogram and 61-line optical coherence tomography macular volume scans with an overlying Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy study grid were obtained. Correlation between 1 mm and 6 mm Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy study ring values and posterior pole vasculitis was analyzed. A linear longitudinal model was used to assess the relationship between global retinal vasculitis scores and optical coherence tomography macular thickness parameters. Ninety-nine eyes of 54 patients were included. A total of 460 optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiogram pairs were analyzed. Central (1 mm) macular thickness was weakly correlated with posterior pole vasculitis (correlation coefficient [rho] = 0.09, P = 0.06). Both the mean 6 mm ring (rho = 0.11, P = 0.018) and the average of the superior and inferior (S/I) 6 mm ring values (rho = 0.13, P = 0.006) were strongly correlated with posterior pole leakage. The longitudinal model showed that S/I 6 mm ring values are associated with vasculitis in the posterior pole, mid, and far periphery ( P < 0.0001). Optical coherence tomography-based macular volume thickness can detect uveitic retinal vasculitis and aid in monitoring disease activity.