Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: It has been reported that a small foveal avascularzone (FAZ) may be seen angiographically in patients with a historyof premature birth. This study was undertaken to evaluate themacular anatomy and topography by optical coherence tomography(OCT) in patients with a history of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).Methods: A 15 year–old Caucasian boy with a history ofpremature birth (24 weeks’ gestational age, with a birthweight of 690 grams) and ROP was referred for vitreoretinalevaluation. Complete ophthalmic examination, stereoscopic colorfundus photography, and OCT3 imaging were performed in eacheye. Six–millimeter scans through the entire macula wereperformed.Results: Best–corrected visual acuity was 20/25 in eacheye. Pupillary reactions, motility, external examination, intraocularpressures, and results of slit–lamp biomicroscopy wereall within normal limits. The most striking funduscopic findingwas the absence of a well–defined foveal avascular regionin either eye. Instead, both large– and small–caliberblood vessels traversed the geographic center of the vasculararcades. OCT scans revealed an absence of a foveal contour andpreservation of all retinal layers.Conclusions: The macular anatomy of formerly premature infantsshows unique tomographic features. A small or absent FAZ maybe the result of preservation of the inner retinal layers. Visualacuity may be excellent despite the apparent lack of fovealdifferentiation.
Keywords: retinopathy of prematurity • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • macula/fovea