ABSTRACT
【Objective】 To investigate the clinical effect of optical coherence tomography angiograph (OCTA) applied in retinal microvascular screening in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). 【Methods】 Thirty patients with NPDR (NPDR group) diagnosed at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and 30 healthy volunteers (control group) were selected to receive OCTA examination. The area, perimeter, and circularity of the fovea avascular zone (FAZ) were measured and blood flow density in the superior, inferior, nasal, temporal quadrants of the macular superficial retinal capillary layer (SCP) and the peripapillary radial capillary layer (RPC) of the optic disc were quantified. 【Results】 In NPDR group, blood flow density in the four quadrants of macular SCP and RPC were decreased significantly compared with that in control group (43.68±3.03 vs. 46.98±3.04, 42.79±3.17 vs. 50.45±2.25, 43.21±2.67 vs. 47.44±2.42, 44.21±3.22 vs. 51.72±5.32, 46.43±3.54 vs. 53.02±2.62, 45.97±3.67 vs. 52.53±2.82, 44.63±2.73 vs. 48.19±3.67, 41.73±3.15 vs. 45.12±3.31) (all P<0.01). The area and perimeter of FAZ in NPDR group were significantly higher than those in control group [(0.50±0.06 vs. 0.43±0.47) mm2, (3.10±0.21 vs. 2.87±0.22) mm]. The circularity of FAZ was significantly lower in NPDR group than in control group [(0.63±0.05 vs. 0.67±0.05)%, P<0.01]. 【Conclusion】 OCTA can detect early retinal microstructure changes in NPDR, and thus can be used as an auxiliary screening of NPDR to provide information for early diagnosis and treatment.