Relationship between choroidal structure and myocardial collateral flow regulation in acute and chronic coronary heart disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between coronary collateral filling, collateral size, and choroidal parameters in patients with acute and chronic coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients with acute CHD and 38 with chronic CHD who underwent diagnostic angiography in a cardiology clinic were included in this observational cross-sectional study. The control group comprised 32 healthy participants, and we examined both eyes of all participants. Diagnostic coronary angiograms were used to score the coronary collaterals, and choroidal parameters were measured in patients with CHD.

Results: Choroidal vascular index (CVI) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were significantly lower in the chronic CHD group than in the acute CHD and control groups (p < 0.05). In the multinominal logistic regression analysis, collateral size had a significant association with both CVI (OR, 0.751; 95% CI, 0.596-0.947), and SFCT (OR, 0.986; 95% CI, 0.976-0.996) in patients with chronic CHD (p < 0.05). However, in the acute CHD group, no significant relationship was observed among choroidal parameters, collateral size, and filling.

Conclusion: Patients with chronic CHD had the lowest mean CVI and SFCT among the three groups, and this may be helpful in indicating chronic myocardial ischaemia. Moreover, an association was observed between larger collateral size and reduced CVI and SFCT in patients with chronic CHD, which may potentially be triggered by decreased angiogenic factors.