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The central retina vessel density and foveal avascular zone values of 792 healthy adults using optical coherence tomography angiography

Eye (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

To determine normal macular vessel density (VD) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) values using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) analysis in healthy adults.

Subjects/methods

As part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) Organizational Cohort study at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (POCM), we conducted a cross-sectional study using 3 × 3 and 6 × 6 mm OCTA scans to evaluate the VD of the macular superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and the FAZ area in healthy adults.

Results

The study included 792 participants, with a mean age of 39.8 ± 6.8 years. There were 359 males with a mean age of 39.9 ± 7.8 years and 440 females with a mean age of 39.4 ± 6 years. The mean values of various parameters were measured, including the right eye whole image SCP and DCP VDs, FAZ area, FAZ perimeter, and fovea VD in a 300 µm wide zone around FAZ (FD). These values were found to be 45.9 ± 2.6%, 50.2 ± 3%, 0.3 ± 0.1mm2, 2.1 ± 0.4 mm, and 50.4 ± 3.3%, respectively. Females and younger participants had significantly higher mean values of whole image SCP and DCP VDs. Additionally, all FAZ parameters had significantly higher values in females, while younger participants had significantly higher mean FD values. Simple linear regression analyses showed that age was negatively correlated with right eye SCP and DCP VDs.

Conclusion

Our study established standard SCP and DCP VD values influenced by age and gender. Age correlates negatively with both, DCP VDs correlate negatively with height and weight, and SCP VDs correlate positively with diastolic blood pressure.

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Fig. 1: Example of OCTA image segmentation pattern and macula subfields.

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Data availability

The datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Vice-Chancellor of Research of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for this research project (code: 990069). The funding organization had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Hamid Reza Heidarzadeh, Mojtaba Abrishami, Nasser Shoeibi, Mohammad Reza Ansari Astaneh, Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini, Majid Abrishami & Ali Bolouki

  2. Ocular Oncology Service, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Mojtaba Abrishami

  3. Persian Cohort Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Elaheh Ebrahimi Miandehi

  4. Pharmaceutical Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Saeed Eslami

  5. Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Saeed Eslami

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  1. Hamid Reza Heidarzadeh
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All authors contributed significantly to this report and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Bolouki.

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This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Human Research at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.MUMS.MEDICAL.REC.1401.229).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Heidarzadeh, H.R., Abrishami, M., Ebrahimi Miandehi, E. et al. The central retina vessel density and foveal avascular zone values of 792 healthy adults using optical coherence tomography angiography. Eye (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-024-03320-w

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