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Updated: Oct 28, 2025
Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography of Retinal Circulation
Published on: September 18, 2012
Study on the Optic Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Changes in Blood Flow in Myopic Children
TaiNan Lin1, Ling Su2, JinHua Lin1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Fujian Provincial Governmental Hospital, Fuzhou, People's Republic of China.
Insights
In children, increasing myopia and axial length (AL) significantly alter optic papilla blood flow and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Specifically, AL negatively impacts blood flow and RNFL in most quadrants, except the temporal quadrant.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Optometry
- Pediatric Eye Care
Background:
- Axial length (AL) and refractive state are critical factors in pediatric eye development.
- Understanding changes in the optic nerve head is crucial for diagnosing and managing pediatric eye conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between axial length (AL), refractive state, and optic nerve head characteristics in children.
- To analyze optic nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and peripapillary blood flow density in relation to myopia progression.
Main Methods:
- A clinical control study involving 204 children aged 6-17 years with varying refractive conditions.
- Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) was used to assess radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and RNFL thickness.
- Eyes were categorized into four groups based on myopic refractive states.
Main Results:
- Intra-optic disc blood flow density showed a significant negative correlation with AL.
- RNFL thickness was negatively correlated with AL in the superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants.
- A positive correlation was observed between RNFL thickness and AL in the temporal quadrant.
Conclusions:
- Increased myopia and AL in children lead to significant changes in optic papilla blood flow and RNFL thickness.
- A decrease in RNFL thickness was noted in the superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants with increasing AL.
- The temporal quadrant showed a substantial increase in RNFL thickness as AL increased.
Objective:
The present study aims to observe the optic nerve fiber layer thickness and blood flow density in the papillary area and investigate the effects of axial length (AL) and the refractive state of the optic papilla blood flow density in children with different refractive conditions.
Methods:
The present study was a clinical control study. The right eyes of 204 minors aged 6-17 years were studied. The eyes were divided into four groups according to myopic refractive states. OCTA analyzed the data to compare the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and the difference in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness adjacent to the optic papilla between the four refraction groups.
Results:
The intra-optic disc blood flow density was significantly and negatively correlated with the AL and was negatively correlated with the AL in the inferior temporal quadrants. The RNFL in the superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants was negatively correlated with the AL. The RNFL in the temporal quadrant was positively correlated with the AL.
Conclusion:
Our present study revealed that aAs myopia increased and the AL grew in children, the blood density of the entire image of the optic papilla, in the optic disc, and the retinal capillaries in the inferior parapapillary and temporal quadrant would change significantly. With increasing AL, a significant decrease in the intra-disc and para-disc RNFL was observed in the superior, nasal, and inferior quadrants, while a substantial increase in RNFL was observed in the temporal quadrant.
