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Choroidal structural changes in preterm children with and without retinopathy of prematurity
Alenka Lavric1, Manca Tekavcic Pompe1, Spela Markelj1
1Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Insights
Preterm children with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) show reduced choroidal vascularity index (CVI), indicating potential vascular compromise. This CVI measurement is a sensitive biomarker for evaluating choroidal changes in these children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood blindness.
- Preterm birth can lead to various ocular complications, including ROP.
- Choroidal structural integrity is crucial for ocular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate choroidal structural changes in preterm children with and without ROP.
- To utilize swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and image binarization.
- To compare choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) between groups.
Main Methods:
- Prospective case-control study involving preterm and full-term children (aged 5-15 years).
- SS-OCT imaging to assess choroidal structures.
- Image binarization to calculate SFCT, stromal area, luminal area (LA), and CVI.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in SFCT was observed between preterm children (with or without ROP) and full-term controls.
- CVI was significantly reduced in preterm children with ROP compared to full-term controls.
- Preterm children without ROP did not show a significant difference in CVI compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Reduced CVI in preterm children with ROP suggests compromised choroidal vascularity.
- CVI is a more sensitive OCT biomarker than SFCT for detecting choroidal changes in preterm children with ROP.
- CVI may aid in evaluating choroidal structural alterations associated with ROP in preterm populations.
Purpose:
Evaluate choroidal structural changes in preterm children with and without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) using image binarization technique on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) scans.
Methods:
Prospective case-control study. Forty-one (79 eyes) children aged 5-15 years with a history of preterm birth and 33 (63 eyes) age-matched full-term children were recruited. Demographics including gestational age at birth, birth weight and history of ROP were documented. All subjects had undergone complete eye examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity and SS-OCT imaging. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was calculated, and images were binarized to obtain stromal and luminal areas (LA). The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was derived from the proportion of LA to the total subfoveal choroidal area.
Results:
There were no significant differences in SFCT between the preterm children with (286.63 ± 83.98 μm) or without (306.59 ± 77.29 μm) ROP and the full-term children (311.82 ± 42.87; p = 0.20 and 0.67, respectively). The CVI was significantly reduced in the preterm children with ROP (68.66 ± 3.24%; p = 0.005) compared with the CVI in the full-term control group (71.37 ± 3.63%); however, the CVI in the preterm children without ROP (71.68 ± 3.09%; p = 0.93) was not significantly affected.
Conclusion:
The reduced CVI in preterm children with ROP may indicate compromised choroidal vascularity. The CVI was found to be a more sensitive OCT biomarker than the SFCT and may be helpful in evaluating associated choroidal structural changes in preterm children, especially those with a history of ROP.
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