Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 16, 2025
Evaluation of Capillary and Other Vessel Contribution to Macular Perfusion Density Measured with Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: February 18, 2022
Retinal microvascular metrics in untreated essential hypertensives using optical coherence tomography angiography
Qian Xu1,2, Hongyi Sun1, Xin Huang1
1Department of Geriatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, No. 107, Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, 250012, China.
Purpose:
To quantify early changes of macular microvascular density, complexity, and peripapillary vessel caliber in hypertension using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
Methods:
Hypertension (137 eyes) and healthy eyes (79 eyes) as control were involved in this prospective observational study. Indices of the microcirculation included vessel density (VD), skeleton density (SD), vessel diameter index (VDI), fractal dimension (FD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) of superficial retinal layer (SRL) and deep retinal layer (DRL), and peripapillary vessel calibers. The correlation of these indices with mean arterial pressure (MAP) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) was analyzed.
Results:
Mean VD of DRL, SD of SRL and DRL, and FD of SRL and DRL were significantly reduced in the macula of hypertensive eyes (all P < 0.01). Meanwhile, hypertensive eyes had margin results of narrower peripapillary arteriolar caliber (P = 0.04). No significant finding was demonstrated on VD of SRL, VDI and FAZ of SRL and DRL, peripapillary total vascular caliber, and peripapillary venal caliber (all P > 0.05). SD and VD of the DRL correlated negatively with MAP (both R = - 0.152, P = 0.03).
Conclusion:
OCTA algorithms may provide an additional inexpensive tool to aid in the preclinical assessment of hypertensive subject.
