Case image and multimodal imaging of a fully-formed functional chorioretinal anastomosis using OCT angiography

Abstract

OCT-angiography description of a fully functional large-diameter chorioretinal anastomosis, or chorioretinal shunt in a 38-year-old female patient with a past history of congenital toxoplasmosis and resulting macular atrophy and scarring.

Disclosure

Neither fundings nor grants have been approved for this publication. There are no conflicts of interest.

This case describes a fully functional large-diameter chorioretinal anastomosis, or chorioretinal shunt in a 38-year-old female patient with a past history of congenital toxoplasmosis and resulting macular atrophy and scarring. The shunt is centered on the macular atrophy (Fig. 1) and bridges from the choriocapillaris layer to the inner retina, with preserved vascular flow throughout (Fig. 2 a-b-c).

Fig. 1.

OCT-angiography en-face 3D reconstruction of the chorioretinal shunt (CRS) using the Plex-Elite® swept-source OCT-angiography.

White dashed lines labeled A-C correspond to OCT B scans from Fig. 2 (A–C) respectively.

Fig. 2.

a-b-c: OCT-angiography B-scans illustrating the vascular flow (red) of the chorio-retinal shuntVascular

flow and shunt trajectory can be seen originating from the choriocapillaris with an anastomosis in the inner vascular layer (white arrows). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)

Freund et al. described a similar case and believed the anastomosis to result from structural damage and associated vascular remodeling which seems to be the same in this case.¹