Abstract
Purpose :
Considering its proximity and importance to the photoreceptors, we evaluated the influence of deep capillary plexus (DCP) non-perfusion on visual acuity (VA) in eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Methods :
Our study included 313 eyes with DR severity ranging from no retinopathy (DMnoDR) to proliferative DR (PDR). 3x3 OCTA scans of the DCP were averaged to measure vessel density (VD), vessel length density (VLD), and geometric perfusion deficit (GPD). Best corrected VA (BCVA) and low-luminance VA (LLVA) were measured per the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) protocol. LLVA deficit (LLVAD) was considered as the difference between BCVA and LLVA. The relationship between OCTA metrics and VA was evaluated using a partial spearman correlation for nonparametric variables, correcting for confounding factors (age, HbA1c, OCTA quality, hypertension and lens status).
Results :
We found moderate linear relationships between BCVA on one side and DCP-VD (r=.269, p<0.001) and DCP-VLD (r=.356, p<0.001) on the other. A moderate negative linear relationship was seen between BCVA and DCP-GPD (r=-.357, p<0.001). We also found moderate linear relationships between LLVA on one side and DCP-VD (r=.335, p<0.001) and DCP-VLD (r=.441, p<0.001) on the other. Also, we saw a moderate negative linear relationship between LLVA and DCP-GPD (r=-.414, p<0.001). LLVAD showed no significant correlation to non-perfusion OCTA metrics (p >.05).
Conclusions :
Perfusion deficits in the DCP correlate moderately to vision loss, suggesting that this capillary layer may contribute to normal visual function.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.