Quantitative assessment and determinants of the papillary microvasculature in healthy subjects

• Published in: BMC ophthalmology Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 140 - 8
• Main Authors: Zhou, Li-jun, Luo, Xiu-zhi, Shen, Pei-yang, Li, Xin, Su, Peng, Zhu, Zhe, Yan, Shi-gang, Kong, Xiang-bin, Lu, Xiao-he
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 20.03.2021; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Age; Angiography; Axial length; Biometrics; Blood pressure; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetic retinopathy; Fluorescein Angiography; Gender; Glaucoma; Health aspects; Healthy subjects; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Hypertension; Medical examination; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microcirculation; Microvasculature; Microvessels - diagnostic imaging; Ophthalmology; Optic disc; Optical coherence tomography angiography; Optics; Prospective Studies; Regression analysis; Research Article; Retinal Vessels - diagnostic imaging; Software; Superficial vessel density; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Variables; China; Superficial vessel density; Healthy subjects; Axial length; Optic disc; Optical coherence tomography angiography
• ISSN: 1471-2415; 1471-2415
• DOI: 10.1186/s12886-021-01896-5

Background It is critical to monitor the optic disc’s vessel density using Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and evaluate its determinants. In the current study, we investigate the superficial vessel density (VD) of the papillary microvasculature and its determinants in healthy subjects of Southern China. Methods This was a prospective, cross-sectional study. Superficial VD in healthy individuals’ optic disc region was measured by OCTA. The factors associated with ocular and systemic parameters were analyzed using a generalized estimation equation (GEE) model. Results A total of 510 eyes of 260 healthy subjects were analyzed in the study. The total VD in the optic disc area was 17.21 ± 2.15 mm − 1 (95% CI, 17.02–17.40 mm − 1 ). The VD in the inner ring and the outer ring of the optic disc were significantly higher compared with the central ring, while the VD of the superior quadrant and inferior quadrant was significantly higher compared with the temporal and nasal quadrant. After adjusting for the ocular factors and systemic factors, AL ( β  = − 0.4917, P  = 0.0003), disc area ( β  = − 0.3748, P  = 0.0143), CMT ( β  = − 0.0183, P  = 0.0003) and SSI ( β  = 1.0588, P  < 0.001) were significantly associated with total VD of the optic disc. Conclusion The mean total VD in the optic disc area was 17.21 ± 2.15 mm − 1 in healthy subjects, and the superior and inferior VD was significantly higher than the temporal and nasal VD. AL, disc area, CMT, and SSI may affect the total VD in the optic disc area and should be considered in clinical practice.