Abstract
Purpose :
To determinate quantitative changes of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DRP) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) that involved the macula
Methods :
Prospective, observational, longitudinal study. Twenty nine eyes after macula off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair were scanned with OCTA for foveal superficial and deep avascular zone (FAZ). Patients with RRD successfully repaired with uncomplicated surgical procedures were included in this study. The changes of FAZ area were examined using swept source OCTA after surgery, two measurements were made on each patient with an interval either of 3 or 6 months between those two measurements. Hypothesis there is a reduction of the FAZ area in patients who underwent retinal detachment repair with macular involvement measured by OCTA.
Results :
29 patients (21male, 8female). Mean age 53.86±11.47. Average preoperative and postoperative visual acuities were 1.42 logMAR (range 0.60–3.0) and 0.59 logMAR±0.26 respectively. Surgical procedures undergone scleral buckling 75.9%(22), pars plana vitrectomy+scleral buckling 3.4 %(1), and phaco-vitrectomy+scleral buckling 20.7%(6).The difference of the means of FAZ area in SCP was 0.049, CI 0.008-0.898 between the two measurements regardless the 3 or 6 month interval, were statistically significant, p 0.01.The difference of the means of FAZ area in DCP was 0.055, CI 0.0012 - 0.898 between the two measurements regardless the 3- or 6- month interval, were statistically significant, p 0.01. Intragroup analysis of the measurements with a 3- month interval versus a 6- month interval, a statistically significant difference was found only in the measurements of the FAZ area in the 6- month interval group.
Conclusions :
In the follow up of patients who underwent retinal surgery for RRD there was a reduction in the FAZ area evidenced by OCTA. A moderate and positive relationship between BCVA and FAZ area was found in the SCP as well as in the DCP. The knowledge of the variations in the FAZ area in postsurgical patients allows inferring that retinal detachment modifies the deep retinal vasculature with remodeling and changes at the capillaries level.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.