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Updated: Feb 20, 2026
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA
Maged Alnawaiseh1, Friederike Schubert, Peter Heiduschka
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Muenster Medical Center, Muenster, Germany.
Purpose:
To evaluate the correlation between the flow density measured by optical coherence tomography angiography and functional parameters in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
Methods:
Twenty eyes of 20 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and 21 eyes of 21 healthy subjects were prospectively included in this study. Optical coherence tomography angiography was performed using RTVue XR Avanti with AngioVue (Optovue Inc). The macula was imaged with a 6 × 6-mm scan, whereas for the optic nerve head a 4.5 × 4.5-mm scan was taken. Visual acuity, visual field parameters (mean deviation and visual field index), full-field electroretinography, and multifocal electroretinography were tested for correlation with flow density data.
Results:
The flow density (whole en face) in the superficial/deep retinal OCT angiograms and in the optical coherence tomography angiography of the optic nerve head was significantly lower in the retinitis pigmentosa group when compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The flow density in the superficial retinal OCT angiogram (fovea) correlated significantly with the visual acuity (rSpearman = -0.77, P < 0.001) and the visual field parameters (visual field index: rSpearman = 0.56, P = 0.01; mean deviation: rSpearman = 0.54, P = 0.01).
Conclusion:
Patients with retinitis pigmentosa show a decreased macular and optic nerve head perfusion compared with healthy subjects. The flow density measured using optical coherence tomography angiography correlated with subjective and objective functional parameters.
