Long-term OCTA-based evaluation of macular microvascular density following intravenous chemotherapy for...

To quantitatively assess the macular microvasculature after intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) for retinoblastoma (RB) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

A case control study compared the OCT and OCTA measurements of the macular thickness, macular vessel density (VD) in the superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexuses and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters of sixteen eyes with extramacular group B retinoblastoma (group 1) to those of age matched: a) twenty fellow eyes of unilateral RB children (group 2), b) twenty-two normal eyes of healthy controls (group 3).

There were no statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding the age at time of the study (12.6 ± 5, 11.7 ± 3.8, 10.8 ± 3.8 years, p = 0.404), the axial length (22.2 ± 0.69, 22.5 ± 0.97, 23 ± 0.96 mm, p = 0.064), or the spherical equivalent (1.11 ± 1.2, 0.87 ± 1.51 and 0.09 ± 1.52, p = 0.097). The differences between the three groups regarding foveal thickness (247 ± 23.8, 238 ± 13, 237 ± 14.7 um, p = 0.381), parafoveal thickness (319.9 ± 14.2, 319.4 ± 11.7, 319.8 ± 11.8 um, p = 0.994), FAZ area (0.308 ± 0.12, 0.314 ± 0.09, 0.338 ± 0.11 mm², p = 0.650), VD of SCP (whole image) (47.1 ± 2.7, 48.6 ± 2.67, 47.5 ± 3.01%, p = 0.252) and VD of DCP (whole image) (50.5 ± 5.09, 52.6 ± 3.04, 52 ± 4.57%, p = 0.350) were not statistically significant. A statistically significant difference existed between the three groups regarding Log MAR visual acuity: median (IQR)=0.176 (0-0.176) for group 1, 0 (0-0.176) for group 2 and 0(0-0) for group 3, p = 0.005.

At a mean of 10 years following IVC for RB, no statistically significant alterations of macular vessel density were detected.