The organization of choroidal arteries in normal eyes

Objective To determine the organization of normal human choroidal arteries using a combination of laser Doppler holography and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Design Cross-sectional clinical study. Subjects 132 eyes of 74 healthy subjects. Method By combining images from a prototypic laser Doppler holography (LDH) system and from OCT, we documented the three-dimensional disposition of choroidal arteries from their emergence from ciliary arteries to precapillary arterioles. Main Outcome Measures Distribution, diameters and pathways of choroidal arteries. Results A notable inter-eye variability in the disposition of arteries was found, in which dominant patterns were identified. A short ciliary artery emerging within 1000μm from the fovea was identified in 63% of eyes, giving rise to a horizontal submacular artery (SMA; mean diameter 119.7 μm ±24.9) oriented temporally. The detection rate of a SMA was inversely correlated to choroidal thickness, that is, SMAs were more often identified in thinner choroids. Among cases with a detectable SMA, its diameter positively correlated with choroidal thickness (p<0.003). Long posterior ciliary arteries (LPCAs) were identified in 43% of eyes and emerged at a mean distance of 4820 μm (±1567) temporal to the fovea (mean diameter 115 μm (±41). Paraoptic arteries radiated from the margins of the optic nerve head, some of which perfused the macula. From first-order arteries, disseminated axially oriented arterioles perfusing precapillary arterioles were detected. Conclusion Using a combination of LDH and OCT in healthy eyes, we identified recurrent organizational patterns of choroidal arteries in normal eyes, including SMAs, LPCAs, paraoptic arteries and precapillary complexes. Characterizing the physiological variants of the disposition of choroidal arteries helps to provide a reference framework that will enable the identification of disease-related changes.