Noninvasive Visualization and Analysis of the Human Parafoveal Capillary Network Using Swept Source OCT Optical
Laura Kuehlewein1, Tudor C Tepelus1, Lin An2
1Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States 2Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Purpose:
We characterized the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and the parafoveal capillary network in healthy subjects using swept source OCT optical microangiography (OMAG).
Methods:
We acquired OMAG images of the macula of 19 eyes (13 healthy individuals) using a prototype swept source laser OCT. En face images of the retinal vasculature were generated for superficial and deep inner retinal layers (SRL/DRL) in regions of interest 250 (ROI-250) and 500 (ROI-500) μm from the FAZ border.
Results:
The mean area (mm2) of the FAZ was 0.304 ± 0.132 for the SRL and 0.486 ± 0.162 for the DRL (P < 0.001). Mean vessel density (%) was 67.3 ± 6.4 for the SRL and 34.5 ± 8.6 for the DRL in the ROI-250 (P < 0.001), and 74.2 ± 3.9 for the SRL and 72.3 ± 4.9 for the DRL in the ROI-500 (P = 0.160).
Conclusions:
Swept source OMAG images of healthy subjects allowed analysis of the FAZ and the density of the parafoveal capillary network at different retinal layers.
