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A small foveal avascular zone may be an historic mark of prematurity

H A Mintz-Hittner1, D M Knight-Nanan, D R Satriano

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Texas Houston Medical School, 77030-5204, USA. hhittner@eye.med.uth.tmc.edu

Ophthalmology
|July 16, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants born at or before 30 weeks gestation have a smaller or absent foveal avascular zone (FAZ) due to incomplete apoptosis. This FAZ finding may indicate a history of prematurity, even without impacting final visual acuity.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Retinal Vascular Development

Background:

  • The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) is a critical feature of the inner retinal vasculature.
  • Understanding FAZ development in relation to gestational age is important for assessing long-term visual health.
  • Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can affect retinal vascular development, but its impact on FAZ in mild cases is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and diameter in children who were born preterm versus those born at term.
  • To investigate the correlation between FAZ characteristics and factors such as gestational age and birth weight in children without significant retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational case series including 49 children (1-17 years old).
  • Fluorescein angiograms were analyzed using digital image analysis to measure FAZ area and diameter.
  • Data on gestational age, birth weight, and ROP history were collected for correlation analysis.

Main Results:

  • FAZ area and diameter significantly correlated with increasing gestational age and birth weight.
  • A small or absent FAZ was observed in preterm infants born at or before 30 weeks gestation or weighing 1100g or less.
  • Normal FAZ was present in infants born at or after 36 weeks gestation or weighing 2650g or more.

Conclusions:

  • The FAZ develops from a vascular meshwork that undergoes apoptosis, a process that is often incomplete in preterm infants.
  • A small or absent FAZ in children may serve as an indicator of prematurity, even in the absence of significant ROP.
  • The observed FAZ characteristics did not correlate with final visual acuity in this cohort.
Abstract

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