AIM: To observe the image features of punctate inner choroiditis(PIC)at different stages by optical coherence tomography(OCT).

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 24 PIC patients(33 eyes)with the median age of 29 years old(range: 16-47), where 19 cases were female(79.2%). Among the 24 cases, 9 cases were bilateral onset(37.5%)and 19 cases were with myopia(79.2%). All of the patients were given fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)and optical coherence tomography(OCT). Through OCT, patients with PIC at different stages were observed for morphology of outer plexiform layer(OPL)and outer nuclear layer(ONL), integrity of inside and outside connections of visual cells(IS/OS), integrity and morphology of reflective tape on retinal pigment epithelium(RPE), and light reflection intensity of choroid and sclera.

RESULTS: The results showed that during active stage and atrophic stage of PIC, there were excavation of ONL and OPL towards thechoroid, weakened or partially disappeared reflective tape of IS/OS, interrupted or fuzzy reflective tape of RPE, hillock-like protrusion of RPE towards the ONL or ONL with medium to high reflection, and strengthened reflection of choroid and sclera under the lesion partly. The rates of the above performances in active stage were 9.1%, 100%, 100%, 86.4% and 77.3%, respectively, and in recovery stage, the corresponding rates were 81.8%, 90.1%, 81.8%, 45.5%, and 90.1%. Medium to high reflection of the protrusion under ONL was more commonly seen in active stage, with P<0.05; while depression towards OPL and ONL was more commonly seen in atrophic stage, with P<0.05.

CONCLUSION: There are both common points and differences of OCT features in PIC at active stage and atrophic stage, suggesting the injury and repair pathological process of outer neural epithelium, retinal pigment epithelium and innerchoroid inflammatory.