Clinical characteristics and incidence of pachychoriod disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are the clinical characteristics and incidence of patients with pachychoroid disease in patients with age related neovascular degeneration?
IRAS ID
351544
Contact name
Adelehin Ijasan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6426984, Edinburgh university
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
This study will be used to investigate a relatively new ophthalmic disease called pachychoroid disease. It was first recognised in 2013. It affects the back of the eye and has similar presentations to another eye disease called neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD) which is also a disease that affects the back of the eye.nAMD is a sight threating disease that needs prompt treatment with expensive eye injections to help the patient to maintain their sight, if no treatment is given the patient will loose their eyesight. However pachychoroid disease can be seen less urgently.
As there are similarities between clinical presentations of nAMD and pachychoroid disease there are some discrepancies on how we should treat pachychoroid patients in our department between clinicians. This can result in treatment of these patients challenging.For our study we would like to look at data from 30 patients from April 2022 - April 2024 that have already attended NHS Grampian (no new patients will be recruited) that have been diagnosed with pachychoroid disease. We would like to look at the patients bio data including their clinical presentations. We would like to be able to identify if there any identifiable characteristics between these patients and see how these patients have been treated. We would look at patients bio data and observe the clinical appearance at the back of the eye by assessing scans that are only available on our local database in NHS Grampian, we would compare all the bio data to see if there is any difference between clinical presentations and if the patient has received treatment or no treatment, which would aid us in future treatment plans in NHS Grampian.
All data will be pseudonymised data. I have also applied for caldicott approval in NHS Grampian to access existing routine data.
Summary of Results
11% of our cohort had pachychoroid disease A third of patients had hypertension, this means there could be a potential link between this systemic disease and hypertension.
Different types of fluid were found in the eye including sub retinal fluid in 97% of the patients. This is fluid can help us determine what pachychoroid spectrum the patient has.
Different clinical features were found at the back of the eye with a double layer pigment epithelial detachment (PED) being the most common in 10 eye. A Double layer PED can help define pachychoroid disease from other retinal diseases.
The choroid is at the back of the eye which is a vascular area. Thickness of the choroid should not be above 300microns. All our patients had an increased thickness with a mean of 581. This is a defining feature in pachychoroid disease.
41% of patients did not receive treatment. Patients receiving injections in the eye showed a trend towards better visual improvement but this did not reach a statistical significance.
Larger studies with a varied ethic background is needed to allow us to better understand pachychoroid disease.REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
24/WS/0173
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion