Evaluation of the Optic Disc and Macula in Healthy Children Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

To perform the measurements of the optic disc and macula in healthy children using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in order to determine the normative data values and compare these by age, gender, spherical equivalent (SE), and axial length (AL).

A total of 146 eyes belonging to 146 healthy children (74 girls, 72 boys) aged 6 to 16 years were included in this prospective study. Refraction and biometry measurements were performed. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), central macular volume, and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) after dilatation. Using the OCTA device, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, vascular density (VD) of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) of the macula, and the VD of the radial peripapillary capillary plexus (RPCP) of the optic disc were recorded.

The mean age of the study group was 11.27±3 years, the mean AL was 23.39±1.18 mm and the mean SE was -1.31±1.61 diopters. The mean FAZ area was 0.3±0.09 mm2, the mean SCP-VD was 43.88±3.4%, the mean DCP-VD was 39.6±3.55%, and the mean RPCP-VD was 52.47±3.42%. When the relationship between the OCTA measurements and the SE and AL values were analyzed, there was no statistical significance (p>0.05). When age and OCTA measurements were compared, only DCP-VD values were found to significantly decrease with increasing age (p=0.015). There was no significant difference in OCTA measurements based on gender (p>0.05). Similarly, no statistical age-based differences were observed in RNFLT, CMV and CMT values (p>0.05).

With its short procedure time and no dye requirement, OCTA can be safely used in the evaluation of the optic disc and macular perfusion in children. Determination of normative values in children will be useful in detecting pathologic changes in tissue in patients with retinal diseases.