Possible Association Between Retinal Arterial Occlusions and Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits: A Missing Link

Background and Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between retinal artery occlusion (RAO), subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD), and choroidal circulation. Patients and Methods: Patients with RAO and healthy age-matched volunteers were included in this study. The presence of SDD, choriocapillaris perfusion area, and subfoveal choroidal thickness were analyzed using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography. Results: In total, 25 patients with RAO (14 women and 11 men, 71.5 ± 8.9 years) and 19 healthy individuals (10 women and 9 men, 69.0 ± 5.2 years) were included. SDD were found in seven RAO patients (28.0%), among whom four (18.2%) had no age-related macular degeneration. Patients with RAO had a statistically significantly lower choriocapillaris perfusion area and subfoveal choroidal thickness than healthy controls ( P < .05). Conclusion: RAO may have an association with the presence of SDD that agrees with common systemic risk factors and changes of posterior eye segment microcirculation for both conditions.