Optic disc and retinal vascular features in first 6 years of Chinese children
Guina Liu1, Anna Jiang1, Le Cao2
1Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Insights
This study explored normal retinal features in children up to 6 years old. Findings show decreasing retinal vessel complexity and caliber with age in early childhood, crucial for understanding retinal development.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- The retinal microvasculature is vital for pediatric fundus health and long-term vision.
- Limited data exists on normal retinal characteristics in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate normal retinal features in children from birth to 6 years old.
- To establish baseline data for future pediatric retinal research.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fundus fluorescein angiography images from 146 children (birth to 6 years).
- Employed a ResUNet convolutional neural network for automated analysis of optic disc and retinal vasculature.
- Analyzed optic disc diameter, vessel density, fractal dimension, and vessel caliber.
Main Results:
- No significant change in optic disc diameter with age.
- Strong linear correlation between retinal vessel density and fractal dimension (r=0.979).
- Decreased fractal dimension and vessel caliber observed with increasing age, particularly in the first 3 years.
- Vessel density and curvature showed no significant age-related changes.
Conclusions:
- Optic disc diameter, vessel density, and curvature were not significantly affected by age or gender.
- Observed trends indicate reduced vessel caliber and complexity in early childhood.
- These findings provide essential structural data for understanding healthy and diseased retinal development in children.
Purpose:
Retinal microvasculature plays an important role in children's fundus lesions and even in their later life. However, little was known on the features of normal retina in early life. The purpose of this study was to explore the normal retinal features in the first 6 years of life and provide information for future research.
Methods:
Children, aged from birth to 6 years old and diagnosed with various unilateral ocular diseases were included. Venous phase fundus fluorescein angiography images with the optic disc at the center were collected. Based on the ResUNet convolutional neural network, optic disc and retinal vascular features in the posterior retina were computed automatically.
Results:
A total of 146 normal eyes of 146 children were included. Among different age groups, no changes were shown in the optic disc diameter (y = -0.00002x + 1.362, R2 = 0.025, p = 0.058). Retinal vessel density and fractal dimension are linearly and strongly correlated (r = 0.979, p < 0.001). Older children had smaller value of fractal dimension (y = -0.000026x + 1.549, R2 = 0.075, p = 0.001) and narrower vascular caliber if they were less than 3 years old (y = -0.008x + 84.861, R2 = 0.205, p < 0.001). No differences were in the density (y = -0.000007x + 0.134, R2 = 0.023, p = 0.067) and the curvature of retinal vessels (lnC = -0.00001x - 4.657, R2 = 0.001, p = 0.667).
Conclusions:
Age and gender did not impact the optic disc diameter, vessel density, and vessel curvature significantly in this group of children. Trends of decreased vessel caliber in the first 3 years of life and decreased vessel complexity with age were observed. The structural characteristics provide information for future research to better understand the developmental origin of the healthy and diseased retina.
