Retinal structural-vascular-functional relationship using optical coherence tomography and optical coherence...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Retinal Imaging

Background:

• Myopia is a prevalent refractive error with potential structural and functional changes in the retina.
• Understanding the relationship between retinal structure, vascularization, and visual function is crucial for myopia management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between retinal structure and vascularization in myopia using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA).
• To correlate retinal layer thickness and vascular density with refractive error and visual acuity in myopic individuals.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cross-sectional study involving 86 eyes of 45 individuals with varying degrees of myopia.
• Retinal layer thicknesses were measured using Spectralis SD-OCT, and vascular density was assessed using RTVue-XR Avanti OCTA.
• Linear correlations were performed between OCT/OCTA measurements and axial length, spherical equivalent, and visual acuity.

Main Results:

• Significant positive correlations were found between axial length and inner retinal layer thickness, foveal angle, and deep capillary plexus vessel density.
• Conversely, outer retinal layers (outer nuclear and photoreceptor segments) showed negative correlations with axial length.
• Retinal layer thickness and vascular density correlated with spherical equivalent and visual acuity.

Conclusions:

• Lateral retinal stretching in myopia may contribute to the observed correlations between retinal layer thickness, vascular density, and visual acuity.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these structure-function relationships in myopia.