The Characteristics of Peripapillary Retinal Perfusion by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Tessellated Fundus Eyes

PLoS One. 2016 Jul 27;11(7):e0159911. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159911. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the peripapillary and perifoveal retinal perfusions of young healthy eyes with a tessellated fundus using optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography.

Methods: Thirty-five Chinese subjects with a tessellated fundus and 35 subjects without a tessellated fundus from a population-based cross-sectional study in Shanghai were included. All participants underwent OCT angiography. The flow index and vessel density were examined in the peripapillary and perifoveal retinal areas, and their relationships with other ocular parameters were analyzed.

Results: In the peripapillary area, the eyes with a tessellated fundus had a lower retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) flow index (0.055 ± 0.009 vs. 0.061 ± 0.007, P = 0.006), RNFL vessel density (61.8 ± 7.3 vs. 65.9 ± 5.2, P = 0.010), retinal flow index (0.086 ± 0.010 vs. 0.092 ± 0.008, P = 0.012), and retinal vessel density (83.7 ± 5.0 vs. 86.4 ± 3.7, P = 0.018) than the control eyes, and the difference remained significant even after adjustments were made for gender and RNFL thickness. No difference was found in the perifoveal area. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the retinal flow index and vessel density in the peripapillary area were significantly correlated with the tessellated fundus diagnosis (flow index: β = -0.006, P = 0.005; vessel density: β = -2.597, P = 0.006), gender (flow index: β = 0.005, P = 0.019; vessel density: β = 3.129, P = 0.002) and RNFL thickness (flow index: β = 0.000, P = 0.002; vessel density: β = 0.190, P = 0.002). The RNFL flow index and vessel density were significantly associated with the tessellated fundus diagnosis (flow index: β = -0.005, P = 0.005; vessel density: β = -3.572, P = 0.008) and the thickness of RNFL (flow index: β = 0.001, P < 0.001; vessel density: β = 0.421, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Eyes with tessellated fundus with a relative decreased peripapillary retinal perfusion compared with eyes without a tessellated fundus were observed. The findings whether indicate causality that the reduction in the peripapillary perfusion and the peripapillary atrophy in myopia, need further study.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Fundus Oculi*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Optic Disk / blood supply*
  • Optic Disk / diagnostic imaging
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Major Scientific Equipment program (grant no. 2012YQ12008003, China) and the Special Scientific Research Project of Health Professions (grant no. 201302015, China). The authors were supported by the Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology (grant no. 13430710500, China), the New Technology Research Project, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (SHDC12014114 and 2013SY058) and the Shanghai Natural Science Foundation (no. 14ZR1405400). The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.