Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate diurnal changes of macular and choroidal perfusion as well as foveal avascular zone (FAZ) dimensions in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
Methods :
Participants with healthy retinas were recruited and 3 x 3 mm OCTA images were acquired at defined time points (07:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00) during the day using the Canon HS-100 Angio eXpert module. Macular and choroidal perfusion was assessed by an established perfusion analyzing algorithm. FAZ size was measured manually in both plexus. OCTA acquired data was correlated with further clinical parameters.
Results :
A total of 36 eyes from 27 healthy adult subjects were included in this cross-sectional study. Mean age in our cohort was 59.8 years. While the macular perfusion and FAZ size measurements in both retinal plexus did not show any statistically significant diurnal changes, choroidal perfusion was significant higher in the evening. Macular volume demonstrated a significant higher value at noon. Choroidal thickness correlated negatively with the age. FAZ size and macular perfusion in the SCP and DCP of the same eye correlated positively.
Conclusions :
In this study a significant diurnal variation of choroidal perfusion using OCTA was observed, while the retinal perfusion seems to stay steady during the course of the day.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.