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Effect of Prematurity on Foveal Development in Early School-Age Children

Semra Tiryaki Demir1, Evrim Kiray Bas2, Murat Karapapak1

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey.

American Journal of Ophthalmology
|June 23, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Foveal development in preterm children differs from full-term peers, with significant variations in retinal thickness and vascularity. These differences correlate with gestational age, particularly in extremely preterm infants.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Preterm birth can impact ocular development, potentially affecting visual function.
  • Foveal development is crucial for sharp central vision.
  • Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) are advanced imaging techniques for retinal assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate foveal development in preterm children using OCT and OCT angiography.
  • To compare the foveal structures of preterm children with those of full-term children.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of children aged 6-8 years, born prematurely without retinopathy treatment.
  • Categorization into groups based on gestational age (GA): ≤30 weeks (Group I), 31-34 weeks (Group II), and full-term (Group III).
  • Detailed examination of central foveal thickness (CFT), inner retinal thickness (IRT), outer retinal thickness (ORT), choroidal thickness (CT), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) diameter, and vessel densities (SCP-VD, DCP-VD).

Main Results:

  • Preterm children (Group I and II) showed significantly greater CFT, IRT, ORT, and foveal vascular densities compared to full-term children (Group III).
  • Temporal and nasal choroidal thickness and FAZ diameter were significantly lower in Group I compared to other groups.
  • Gestational age (GA) demonstrated a significant negative correlation with retinal thickness and vascular densities, and a positive correlation with choroidal thickness and FAZ diameter.

Conclusions:

  • Morphological and vascular foveal structures in school-age preterm children differ from full-term children.
  • These differences are correlated with gestational age and are more pronounced in infants born at ≤30 weeks GA.
  • OCT and OCT angiography reveal distinct foveal development patterns in preterm populations.
Abstract

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