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Published on: April 2, 2021
Comparison of choroidal structural changes between term and preterm children with and without retinopathy of
Oğuzhan Oruz1, Mehmet Serdar Dervişoğulları1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Başkent University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
Insights
Prematurity impacts choroidal vascularity, with reduced choroidal vascularity index (CVI) in preterm children. CVI is a more reliable indicator than choroidal thickness for assessing ROP effects.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Prematurity and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can affect ocular development.
- Choroidal structure plays a crucial role in retinal health and function.
- Understanding the impact of prematurity on the choroid is essential for managing ROP complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of prematurity and ROP treatment on choroidal structure using image binarization.
- To compare choroidal structure between preterm and term children.
- To assess the reliability of choroidal vascularity index (CVI) compared to choroidal thickness (CT) in ROP evaluation.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-control study included 36 term and 52 preterm children (aged 6-11 years).
- Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and choroidal thickness (CT) at various distances from the fovea were measured.
- Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was calculated using image binarization (Image J) by dividing luminal area by total subfoveal choroidal area.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in SFCT was observed between term and preterm children.
- CVI was significantly higher in term children compared to preterm children (p<0.001).
- CVI was inversely correlated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (r=-0.295, p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Reduced CVI in preterm children suggests a relationship between prematurity and choroidal development.
- CVI is a more sensitive marker than CT for evaluating the choroid's involvement in ROP.
- These findings highlight the importance of assessing choroidal vascularity in preterm infants.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effects of prematurity and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) treatment on choroidal structure using the image binarization method and compare with term children.
Methods:
Children aged 6-11 years were included in this prospective case-control study. There were 36 (72 eyes) term children and 52 (103 eyes) preterm children included in the study. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and choroidal thickness (CT) at 500, 1500, and 2500 μm temporal and nasal from the fovea were measured. Images were binarized using the Image J program. The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was calculated by dividing the luminal area by the total subfoveal choroidal area.
Results:
There was no significant difference in SCFT between children born at term (290.44±57.617 μm) and preterm (288±69.270 μm) (p = 0.800). CVI was found to be significantly higher in term children (71.90±2.60 %) than in preterm children (69.58±2.72 %) (p<0.001), and the difference was also significant when compared to preterm children without ROP (p = 0.033). In the preterm subgroups, although CVI was higher in preterm children without ROP (70.42±2.24 %) than in those with spontaneous regression (69.34±3.30 %) and those treated with laser photocoagulation (68.91±2.35 %), there was no significant difference (p = 0.330, p = 0.089 respectively). CVI was similar between children with spontaneous regression and those treated with laser photocoagulation (p = 0.909). CVI and logMAR best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were inversely correlated (r=-0.295 p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Reduced CVI in preterm children indicates that prematurity is related to the choroid. Choroidal vascularity index appears to be a more reliable marker than CT for evaluating the relationship between choroid and ROP.
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