Comparison of choroidal thickness and vascularity in patients with subretinal drusenoid deposits and large drusen using swept-source optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the choroidal features in patients diagnosed with non-advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using Swept-source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT) and compare the findings of those with subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) and those with large drusen.

Methods: Individuals aged 50 years and above, presenting with either SDD or large drusen alongside non-advanced AMD, underwent a thorough ophthalmic assessment. OCT scans were acquired using SS-OCT. Choroidal thickness (CT) maps within the early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) subfields were obtained. Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was obtained from a foveal horizontal OCT scan, and it was determined as the ratio of luminal area to the total choroidal area. The data obtained were compared between the groups.

Results: Forty-three eyes of 27 patients with SDD and 40 eyes of 21 patients with large drusen were included in the study. The mean age was 72.0 ± 8.6 years in the SDD group and 71.3 ± 5.6 years in the large drusen group with no significant difference (p = 0.717). In the choroidal thickness maps CT and CT in all ETDRS subfields were significantly lower in SDD group compared to the large drusen group. CVI values were not significantly different between SDD (0.628 ± 0.18) and large drusen groups (0.629 ± 0.20) (p = 0.812).

Conclusion: Non-advanced AMD patients with SDD exhibited reduced choroidal thickness compared to those with large drusen. Choroidal vascularity index did not significantly differ, suggesting that choroidal thickness may play a more substantial role than vascularity changes in the pathogenesis of SDD.