Interchangeability of retinal perfusion indices in different-sized angiocubes: An optical coherence tomography angiography study in diabetic retinopathy

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the differences in vascular indices in different scan sizes of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images in normal persons versus persons with diabetic retinopathy. Methods: OCTA scans of diabetic patients and age-matched controls were performed by a single operator. Automated quantification of vascular indices of the superficial plexus was analyzed in two angiocubes of 3 × 3 mm and 6 × 6 mm, respectively. The agreement was analyzed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots. Results: Forty-eight eyes with DR, 36 eyes with no diabetic retinopathy (No DR), and 26 eyes of age-matched normals were scanned. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and perimeter were highly reliable and interchangeable in both angiocubes of the healthy eyes (ICC 0.94, 0.75), No DR (ICC 0.92, 0.85), and DR eyes (ICC 0.97, 0.89). The vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) showed excellent agreement in normal (ICC 0.89, 0.80) and No DR eyes (ICC 0.92, 0.81). But, only fair ICC was observed in DR eyes (0.56, 0.42). Conclusion: The FAZ area and perimeter showed excellent reproducibility. The macular perfusion parameters are not interchangeable despite automated estimation. The variability is more with changes in the vascular network like DR. This variability should be considered while comparing different scans.