Analysis of quantitative characteristics of intraretinal and choriocapillary blood flow in patients with myopia

    Abstract

    N.S. Grigor’eva, A.N. Stulova, N.S. Semenova, V.S. Akopyan

    Analysis of quantitative characteristics of intraretinal and choriocapillary blood flow in patients with myopia

    Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    The purpose of the study. To analyse parameters of retinal and choriocapillary blood flow in patients with myopia using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

     Material and methods. 52 patients (100 eyes) with myopia aged 17 to 24 years were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into three groups according to the degrees of myopia. OCTA was performed using SOLEX OCT machine with the Angiovue module (Optovue, USA). Quantitative characteristics of the retinal microvasculature and the choriocapillaris were analyzed using images in the «En face» projection and compared between the groups.

    Results. With an increase in the degree of myopia, significantly lower values of the perimeter of the FAZ were found in both the superficial and deep capillary plexuses. The analysis of the parameters of the choriocapillaris showed a smaller number of areas of absence of the OCTA signal in groups with a higher degree of myopia. A negative correlation of the FAZ area, perimeter of the FAZ, acircularity index, vascular density, skeletonized density, and density of signal loss zones in the choriocapillary layer with the degree of myopia was recorded.

    Conclusion. The results of the study demonstrate a significant change in the quantitative characteristics of intraretinal and choriocapillary blood flow in patients with myopia. A negative correlation of blood flow parameters with the degree of myopia was revealed.

    Keywords: myopia; OCT angiography; retinal microvasculature; choriocapillaris; foveal avascular zone area