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Updated: Dec 13, 2025
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
Retinal vessel architecture in retinopathy of prematurity and healthy controls using swept-source optical coherence
Sandra Rezar-Dreindl1, Katharina Eibenberger1, Reinhard Told1
1Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Insights
Children with a history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) show microvascular changes, including a smaller foveal avascular zone (FAZ), indicating disturbed retinal development. Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) revealed these anomalies.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Understanding the long-term microvascular consequences of ROP is crucial for pediatric eye care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate microvascular changes in children with a history of ROP using advanced imaging techniques.
- To compare these changes with a control group of full-term children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 15 children (30 eyes) with a history of ROP and 22 age-matched full-term children (28 eyes).
- Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) was used to evaluate the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vessel density (VD), and choroidal vascular flow area (VFA).
- Correlations were assessed with central retinal thickness (CRT), visual acuity (VA), birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA), and ROP severity.
Main Results:
- Children with ROP history exhibited a significantly higher central retinal thickness (CRT).
- A smaller mean FAZ area and perimeter were observed in the ROP group, with an oval shape noted.
- No significant differences in choroidal vascular flow area (VFA) or vessel density (VD) were found between groups.
Conclusions:
- SS-OCTA imaging demonstrates significant microvascular anomalies in children with a history of ROP.
- These findings suggest disturbances in the early morphological development of the central retina in ROP survivors.
Purpose:
To determine microvascular changes in children with a history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and in a control group of full-term children.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional study, 30 eyes of 15 children aged 6-8 years with a history of ROP were evaluated with swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). Twenty-eight eyes of 22 age-matched full-term children served as a healthy control group. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vessel density (VD) and choroidal vascular flow area (VFA) were evaluated on OCTA and correlated with central retinal thickness (CRT), visual acuity (VA), birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA) and ROP stages.
Results:
Twenty-two eyes of 14 children with a history of ROP (stage 1-3) and 25 eyes of 19 full-term children were available for evaluation. In the ROP group, the gestational age was 27 ± 2 weeks and birth weight was 781 ± 164 g. In the ROP group, CRT was higher in the central ETDRS segment (mean difference [95% CI]: 32.8 µm [18.7; 47.0], p = 0.0002) compared to the controls. Smaller mean FAZ area (-0.12 [-0.19; -0.04], p = 0.004) and perimeter (-662 [-1228; -96], p = 0.03) was found in comparison to the control group. An oval shape of the FAZ was observed among patients with a history of ROP. The mean central VD of the superficial plexus was 28 ± 8/23 ± 8% and of the deep plexus 7 ± 7/3 ± 5% (ROP group/control group; p > 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found regarding the choroidal VFA. Only weak correlation of FAZ and VD with function was observed.
Conclusions:
Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography imaging revealed significant microvascular anomalies in children with a history of ROP indicating disturbance of early morphological development of the central retina.
