A 12-months longitudinal study of the macula of healthy children using optical coherence tomography angiography

Abstract

Purpose : Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a relatively new imaging modality. Because of that there is limited knowledge about the longitudinal changes that occur on OCTA parameters in healthy children. The aim of this study was to characterize longitudinal changes of the central retina in healthy children using OCTA.

Methods : The right eyes of 75 children (31 males) born at full-term were followed for 1 year. Axial length was obtained with IOLMaster 500. OCTA images were acquired with a Cirrus 5000HD-OCT. OCTA Images were corrected for lateral magnification errors using ImageJ/Fiji software to give accurate measures of foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vessel density (VD) and perfusion (PER). Foveal and macular thickness was performed manually. Foveal thickness, a single point obtained at the foveal pit, divided by macular thickness, single point obtained at the maximum high of the inner macula, gave the fovea-to-macula thickness ratio (FMTR).

Results : Mean age at baseline was 12.4 years (SD=2.5). At baseline, the mean FAZ was 0.20 mm²(SD=0.1), central PER was 19.6%(SD=4.8), total PER was 38.7%(SD=3.8), central VD was 13.4 mm^-1(SD=2.8), total VD was 23.1 mm^-1(SD=2.1) and FMTR was 0.65(SD=0.07). After one year, the mean FAZ was 0.23 mm²(SD=0.1), central PER was 17.7%(SD=4.1), total PER was 35.7%(SD=3.6), central VD was 11.3 1mm^-1(SD=2.5), total VD was 21.1 mm^-1(SD=2.5) and FMTR was 0.66 (SD=0.1). Axial length (p<0.001), FAZ (p<0.001) and the FMTR (p=0.006) increased significantly. Central VD (p<0.001), total VD (p<0.001), central PER (p<0.001) and total PER (p<0.001) decreased significantly during the one-year period.

Conclusions : In this study, most structural parameters increased, and the functional parameters decreased over time in healthy eyes of healthy children. Our results show that foveal and macular development is an ongoing process that progresses during the second decade of life.

This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.