OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY of the FOVEAL AVASCULAR ZONE in CHILDREN with A HISTORY of TREATMENT-REQUIRING RETINOPATHY of PREMATURITY

Purpose:To examine the characteristics of the foveal vascular structure of patients with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by optical coherence tomography angiography.Methods:Ten patients with a history of laser photocoagulation or cryopexy treatment for Stage 3 (Zone ≥ II) ROP and 10 normal subjects (controls) were included. Foveal avascular zone, vessel density, vessel length, and vascular diameter index were measured by optical coherence tomography angiography using the 3 × 3-mm Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) sectors.Results:The median foveal avascular zone values of the patients with ROP and controls were 0.103 mm² and 0.260 mm², respectively (P = 0.0025). The medians of the vessel density, vessel length, and vascular diameter index of the patients with ROP were 0.218 mm²/mm², 11.75 mm/mm², and 18.00 m, respectively, in ETDRS Sector 1 and did not significantly differ from those of the controls (P = 0.940, 0.733, and 0.705, respectively). For the average of ETDRS Sectors 2 to 5, the medians of the vessel density, vessel length, and vascular diameter index for the patients with ROP were 0.347 mm²/mm², 18.95 mm/mm², and 18.28 m, respectively; vessel density and vessel length were significantly smaller than those of the controls (P = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively), but there was no significant difference in vascular diameter index (P = 0.286).Conclusion:Optical coherence tomography angiography-guided foveal avascular zone was significantly smaller in patients with ROP than in controls. Our results indicate that foveal vascular development may be altered in patients with a history of treatment-requiring ROP.