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Updated: May 29, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
The temporal and nasal retinal arteriolar and venular angles in preterm infants
Karen Wong1, Jeffrey Ng, Anna Ells
1Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University, London, UK.
Aim:
To determine the angle between the temporal or nasal retinal vessels in preterm infants and to determine the relationship of these angles to birthweight (BW), gestational age (GA) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) status.
Methods:
Colour digital images were acquired during ROP screening examinations in infants born with a range of BWs and GAs between 33 and 42 weeks postmenstrual age. Four retinal vessel angles were measured: temporal venular angle, temporal arteriolar angle (tAA), nasal venular angle and nasal arteriolar angle. Measurements were performed by Computer-Aided Image Analysis of the Retina, a validated semi-automated computer software program. The relationship of each of four angles to BW and also to GA was determined using Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's rho, respectively.
Results:
tAA was significantly narrower in infants with ROP and correlated positively with BW and GA. The other vessel angles, temporal venular angle, nasal arteriolar angle and nasal venular angle, showed no significant correlation with BW, GA or ROP status.
Conclusion:
The retinal vessel angles can be quantified in a simple repeatable manner. tAA correlated positively with BW and GA, and was significantly narrower in infants with stage 3 ROP than in those without ROP or with mild disease.
