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Insights into the developing fovea revealed by imaging
Ye He1, Xi Chen2, Irena Tsui3
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, China.
Progress in Retinal and Eye Research
|May 20, 2022
Summary
High-resolution imaging reveals abnormal foveal development in preterm infants, characterized by inner retinal thickening and delayed photoreceptor maturation. These findings persist into adulthood, impacting vision.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Histological studies of foveal development are limited by tissue quality and processing artifacts.
- Advances in non-invasive imaging, like optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A), enable in vivo retinal visualization.
- Increased survival of extremely premature infants correlates with a rise in retinal developmental complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advanced imaging technologies for infant eye assessment.
- To delineate key events in normal foveal development.
- To contrast foveal structural features in normal versus preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on retinal imaging technologies.
- Analysis of histological and in vivo imaging data of foveal development.
- Comparison of retinal structures in full-term and preterm infants.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants exhibit inner retinal thickening, shallower foveal pits, smaller foveal avascular zones, and delayed photoreceptor development.
- These abnormalities represent a partial arrest of foveal development.
- Foveal structural deviations in preterm infants persist from infancy through childhood.
Conclusions:
- Understanding normal foveal development is crucial for interpreting prematurity-associated pathologies.
- Advanced imaging aids in characterizing retinal development and complications in preterm infants.
- Further research on perifoveal microvasculature development is warranted.
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