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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
Analysis of the Retinal Microcirculation in Chinese Patients With Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease by Optical Coherence
Fanfan Huang1,2,3, Chong Tang1, Shiyao Tan4
1Ophthalmology Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Major Blinding Eye Diseases, Chongqing Branch (Municipality Division) of National Clinical Research Centre for Ocular Diseases, Chongqing, China.
Insights
Chinese Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) patients showed decreased retinal microcirculation, specifically vessel density and perfusion density. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) revealed these measures returned to normal after treatment, indicating OCTA
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
- Microcirculation Research
Background:
- Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is an inflammatory condition affecting ocular tissues.
- Dynamic changes in retinal microcirculation in Chinese VKH patients remain underexplored.
- Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) offers advanced visualization of retinal vasculature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dynamic changes in retinal microcirculation in Chinese VKH patients.
- To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic interventions using OCTA.
- To correlate microcirculatory changes with patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- OCTA was employed to measure vessel density (VD), perfusion density (PD), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters.
- 43 VKH patients and 43 healthy controls were included.
- Patients received prednisone and cyclosporine treatment, with measurements taken before and after therapy.
Main Results:
- VKH patients exhibited significantly lower parafoveal and overall VD, parafoveal PD, and visual acuity compared to controls.
- Post-treatment, these parameters normalized within two months and remained stable.
- Foveal VD, foveal/overall PD, and FAZ characteristics showed no significant differences or changes.
- Visual acuity correlated negatively with parafoveal/overall PD and FAZ metrics.
Conclusions:
- Chinese VKH patients present with reduced retinal VD and PD, which are reversible with treatment.
- OCTA is a valuable tool for objectively assessing retinal microcirculation and monitoring treatment response in VKH patients.
Purpose:
The dynamic changes of retinal microcirculation in Chinese Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) patients have not yet been described. This study aimed to explore changes in retinal microcirculation among Chinese with VKH disease using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) technology to determine whether patient outcomes improve due to therapeutic interventions.
Methods:
The study included 43 VKH patients and 43 normal controls. Vessel density (VD), perfusion density (PD), and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, perimeter, and circularity were measured by OCTA. Clinical and demographic characteristics of VKH patients and visual acuity changes were recorded. All patients were treated with prednisone in combination with cyclosporine.
Results:
Before treatment, VD of the parafoveal and full area, PD of the parafoveal area, and visual acuity were significantly decreased in VKH patients compared to controls. These parameters increased significantly to normal values after 2 months of treatment and maintained a normal level thereafter. VD of the foveal area, PD of the foveal and full area, and FAZ area, perimeter, and circularity did not differ from those of normal eyes and showed no significant changes following treatment. A negative correlation was found between visual acuity and PD of the parafoveal and full area and FAZ area and circularity.
Conclusions:
Decreased retinal VD and PD were observed in Chinese VKH patients, which returned to normal values following treatment. OCTA analysis may be a useful method to follow the response of VKH patients to treatment.
Translational Relevance:
OCTA can objectively evaluate the retinal microcirculation and is an effective technology to track the response of VKH patients to treatment.
