دهمین همایش تحقیقات چشم پزشکی و علوم بینایی ایران

Effect of panretinal photocoagulation on macular vasculature using optical coherence tomography angiography

Hamid Riazi Esfahani¹ *, Hooshang Faghihi¹ , Ahmad Mirshahi¹ , Elias Khalili Pour¹ , Fariba Ghassemi¹ , Reza Mirshahi ² , Fatemeh Bazvand¹ , Alireza Khodabandeh¹ , Amirhossein Hashemi¹ , Mohammad Riazi Esfahani³

Retina service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Eye Research Center, The Five Senses Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Department of Ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

Abstract: To evaluate the changes of macular vascular density in the superficial capillary (SCP) and the deep capillary plexus (DCP), foveal avascular area (FAZ), choroidal flow, and macular thickness after pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP).

Methods: In this prospective interventional non-comparative case series, patients with very severe nonproliferative (NPDR) and early proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and no significant macular edema who were candidates for pan-retinal photocoagulation underwent measurement of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) at the baseline, 1, and 6 months following completion of PRP treatment.

Results: Thirty-nine eyes from 21 patients with diabetes were enrolled. Superficial and deep capillary plexus densities in the foveal and parafoveal area didn’t change significantly 1 and 6 months post-PRP (p > 0.1 in all of them). The FAZ area constricted 6 months following PRP (p = 0.075). Based on the calculated circularity index, the FAZ became significantly more circular after 6 months of follow-up (p = 0.047). Although the choroidal flow area increased after PRP this increase wasn’t statically significant neither at 1 month nor at 6 months post-PRP (p = 0.31 and 0.23, respectively).

Conclusion: Although OCTA parameters were not significantly affected by PRP at both short-term (1 month) and longterm (6 months) follow-ups, the FAZ area became significantly circular after PRP may be due to redistribution of blood flow in hypoperfused foveal capillary plexus.