Value of optical coherence tomography angiography for the assessment of visual functions in children with retinopathy of prematurity

Abstract

AIM: To compare and assess morphometric, structural, and microvascular parameters of the macular zone in children with cicatricial ROP grades I–III with different visual acuity from those in healthy peers.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighteen children (36 eyes) aged 8–18 years with cicatricial ROP grades I–III were examined. Ten peers (20 eyes) made up the control group. All children, in addition to the standard ophthalmological examination, underwent optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography with angiography (OCTA). The diagnosis was carried out on a tomograph RS-3000 Advance 2 (Nidek (Japan)). In the resulting 3×3 mm scans with a center in the fovea, the vascular and perfusion density of the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP), deep retinal capillary plexus (DSP), and the foveolar avascular zone, were measured, the thickness of the retina in the fovea was evaluated, and the structure of the neuroepithelium in the macula was assessed.

RESULTS: In children born before 27 weeks, the central retinal thickness was higher than that in more “mature” children (231.8±18.2 and 208.2±15.2 mµ, respectively), and the relationship of this parameter with visual acuity was not explored. The vascular density of SCP in children with ROP and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) up to 0.4 and more than 0.4 were 1.46 mm-1 and 1.35 mm-1, respectively; and in the control group, it was 1.89 mm-1.

The perfusion densities of the SCP in these groups were 9.2%, 10.03%, and 13.3%, respectively. The vascular densities of the Deep capillary plexus (DCP) in children with ROP with BCVA up to 0.4 and more than 0.4 were 2.8 mm-1 and 3.0 mm-1, respectively; in the control group, it was 3.2 mm-1, and the perfusion density of the deep capillary plexus (DCP) in indicated groups were 25.7%, 30.9%, and 31.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The analysis of the architectonics of the retinal vascular bed in children with ROP using OCTA makes it possible to assess the relationship between microcirculation disorders in the central zone of the retina and visual acuity, which is of great scientific and practical importance.

Keywords

optical coherence tomography / optical coherence tomography with angiography / retinopathy of prematurity / visual acuity

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