Characterizing Foveal Hypoplasia Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography: Evaluation of Microvascular Abnormalities and Clinical Significance

This study aimed to evaluate foveal avascular zone (FAZ) features and macular flow density (FD) in various retinal layers in a cohort of patients with foveal hypoplasia (FH) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), in order to characterize microvascular abnormalities and explore their...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical medicine 2023-07, Vol.12 (15), p.4992
Main Authors: Storp, Jens Julian, Zimmermann, Julian Alexander, Danzer, Moritz Fabian, Alnawaiseh, Maged, Eter, Nicole, Al-Nawaiseh, Sami
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abnormalities
Angiography
Clinical medicine
Clinical significance
Congenital diseases
CT imaging
Diagnosis
Eye
Gender
Medical imaging
Microcirculation disorders
Patients
Software
Tomography
Visual acuity
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Summary:This study aimed to evaluate foveal avascular zone (FAZ) features and macular flow density (FD) in various retinal layers in a cohort of patients with foveal hypoplasia (FH) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), in order to characterize microvascular abnormalities and explore their potential clinical significance. FAZ parameters and FD, as well as retinal thickness and volume values were analyzed and compared between patients with FH and an age- and gender-matched control cohort. Correlations between disease severity and visual acuity (VA), as well as between disease severity and FAZ features were evaluated. A total of 19 eyes with FH and 19 control eyes were included. The study group showed significantly higher FD values in the foveal sectors of the superficial and deep capillary plexus compared to controls. FAZ area, perimeter, and acircularity index (ACI) were noticeably altered in eyes with FH; however, they did not correlate with disease severity. Visual acuity was negatively correlated with disease severity. The results of this study provide evidence of altered microvasculature architecture specifically in the foveal sectors of patients with FH. The higher FD values in the foveal sectors of FH patients suggest a potential compensatory response of the retinal microvasculature. FAZ parameters and FD values of the foveal sectors could be used as part of an OCTA-based grading system in FH patients.
ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm12154992