Abstract
Purpose :
To establish normative data of vascular density and measurement of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) at the superficial (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) using the OCT-angiography (Optovue, Inc., Fremont, California, USA).
Methods :
Retrospective chart review of healthy patients who had undergone imaging using the split-spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography algorithm (SSADA) on the OCT-angiography system version 2015.100.0.35.
Results :
135 eyes of 70 subjects were studied (51% of men). Mean age was 48.3 (SD 17.5 years; ranged from 20 - 79 years). The ages were divided into 3 age groups: group I: 20 to 39 years of age, group II: 40 to 59 years of age, group III: 60 of years and older.
At the SCP, the mean whole en face vascular density and mean FAZ +- SD were 52.58±3.22% and 0.28±0.1 mm2.At DCP, mean vascular density and mean FAZ were respectively 57.87±2.82% and 0.37±0.12 mm2. Mean Vascular density washigher in DCP than inSCP (p<0.05) in all subfields and in all groups. The mean FAZ area waslower ingroup 3 (p<0.05) than in other groups. Statistical differences were found between males and females for any measurement (p>0.05).
Interobserver reproducibility (0.78 to 0.99 in SCP, 0.67 to 0.92 in DCP) and intraobserver repeatability (0.64 to 0.93 in SCP and 0.63 to 0.87 in DCP) were both excellent.
Conclusions :
Our results give perfect interobserver repeatability and substantial intraobserver reproducibility in each plexuses and confirm that the age-related decrease in FAZ area could be due to atrophic and occlusive changes in the macular capillaries.
Our normative database of FAZ and vascular density could help recognizing any early changes in macular capillary bed and abnormalitiesof the vascular arcade surrounding the FAZ, thus differentiating healthy eyes from macular vascular diseases.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.