The characteristics of dome-shaped macula in Chinese children aged 4-6 years using optical coherence tomography angiography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristics of dome-shaped macula (DSM) in children aged 4-6 years with normal visual acuity using optical coherence tomography angiography. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 19 children aged 4-6 years were included. The results of optical coherence tomography angiography images were analysed to identify and quantify retinal structural and vascular parameters in DSM children. The dome height, dome base, and sub-dome choroidal thickness were manually measured. Participants with DSM and those without DSM from our previous study were compared on these parameters. RESULTS: Nineteen eyes of the preschool subjects with normal visual acuity showed horizontal DSM on optical coherence tomography (OCT). The DSM was significantly smooth and low in the children, and we did not observe differences between sex and age. Compared to the children without DSM, the average axial length was longer, and the average macular vessel density was lower in the DSM group, especially in the deep retinal vascular density. Additionally, the dome height was positively correlated with the sub-dome choroidal thickness. When the dome base/height was increased, the fovea avascular zone (FAZ) area was larger. CONCLUSION: Dome-shaped macula was detected in the preschool children in the process of the emmetropization with normal visual acuity. The changes in macular structure and vasculature provide new ideas for further investigation into the characteristics of DSM formation.

Assessment of the retinal vasculature in healthy Chinese preschool children aged 4-6 years old using optical coherence tomography angiography.

PURPOSE: To establish normal parameters of macular and optic disc vasculature by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in healthy preschool children aged 4-6 years old in China. OCTA reflects retinal metabolism and development in children at these ages and could be used clinically and in future studies to aid diagnosis and prediction of retinal abnormalities and developmental stagnation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we measured foveal, parafoveal, and perifoveal vessel density in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP); the deep capillary plexus (DCP), the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and the radial capillary peripapillary (RPC) in the optic disc using investigational spectral-domain OCTA. The magnification effect of the FAZ area and microvasculature measurements was corrected by Littman and the modified Bennett formula. RESULTS: A total of 242 eyes (116 males and 126 females, 5.31 ± 0.73 years) were recruited for the analysis. The mean macular vessel density was 48.10 ± 2.92% and 48.74 ± 6.51% in the SCP and the DCP, respectively. The RPC vessel density was 47.17 ± 2.52%, 47.99 ± 4.48%, and 48.41 ± 3.07% in the whole image, inside disc, and peripapillary, respectively; and the mean FAZ area was 0.28 ± 0.11 mm2. A significant difference between male and female participants was found in the retinal vasculature (DCP, SCP, and RPC). None of these parameters were significantly different in age (P > 0.05), except that DCP slightly increased with aging. The right and left eyes had good consistency in the parameters of the macula and optic disc. CONCLUSIONS: Our study establishes the macular and optic disc OCTA reference values in 4- to 6-year-old healthy preschool children. They may be used in longitudinal OCTA studies and clinical applications.