Beschreibung:
<jats:p><b><i>Aim:</i></b> The purpose of this paper was to evaluate whether optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) can be used to quantify the vascular changes in radiation maculopathy, and changes in the tumor vasculature in eyes treated with plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this prospective study, we evaluated 39 Caucasian patients with choroidal melanoma (39 eyes) treated with ruthenium-106 plaque radiotherapy. The patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination, bulbar echography, and OCT-A before and 1 year after treatment. <b><i>Results:</i></b> At baseline, the mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the affected eyes was 0.35 ± 0.40 logMAR, and the mean tumor thickness was 2.68 ± 0.25 mm at A-scan echography. After treatment, the mean BCVA increased to 0.41 logMAR, the mean tumor thickness decreased to 1.66 ± 0.23 mm, and the tumor basal diameter was significantly reduced (U = 108, <i>p</i> = 0.001). Moreover, the capillary vessel density was significantly lower in all Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study sectors, and both the vessel and flow areas were significantly reduced (<i>p</i> = 0.030 and <i>p</i> = 0.001, respectively). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> OCT-A is a noninvasive, reliable method with which to quantify the vessel changes in radiation maculopathy and, given the association between vascularization and malignancy, this procedure may be an aid in treatment decision-making and in monitoring the efficacy of treatment.</jats:p>