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. 2021 Dec 1;62(15):1.
doi: 10.1167/iovs.62.15.1.

Longitudinal Macular Retinal and Choroidal Microvasculature Changes in High Myopia

Fengbin Lin  1 , Zhenni Zhao  2 , Fei Li  1 , Zhen Qiu  3 , Xinbo Gao  1 , Yunhe Song  1 , Peiyuan Wang  1 , Jian Xiong  1   4 , Weijing Cheng  1 , Kun Hu  1 , Meiling Chen  1 , Xiaohong Liang  1 , Yifeng Yu  4 , Bin Yang  5 , Chunman Yang  6 , Fanyin Wang  7 , Mingkui Tan  3 , Xiulan Zhang  1 ; GSHM Study Group
Affiliations

Longitudinal Macular Retinal and Choroidal Microvasculature Changes in High Myopia

Fengbin Lin et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. .

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal changes in macular retinal and choroidal microvasculature in normal healthy and highly myopic eyes.

Methods: Seventy-one eyes, including 32 eyes with high myopia and 39 healthy control eyes, followed for at least 12 months and examined using optical coherence tomography angiography imaging in at least 3 visits, were included in this study. Fovea-centered 6 × 6 mm scans were performed to measure capillary density (CD) of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillaris (CC). The rates of CD changes in both groups were estimated using a linear mixed model.

Results: Over a mean 14-month follow-up period, highly myopic eyes exhibited a faster rate of whole image CD (wiCD) loss (-1.44%/year vs. -0.11%/year, P = 0.001) and CD loss in the outer ring of the DCP (-1.67%/year vs. -0.14%/year, P < 0.001) than healthy eyes. In multivariate regression analysis, baseline axial length (AL) was negatively correlated with the rate of wiCD loss (estimate = -0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.48 to -0.06, P = 0.012) and CD loss in the outer ring (estimate = -0.33, 95% CI = -0.56 to -0.11, P = 0.005), of the DCP. The CD reduction rates in the SCP and CC were comparable in both groups (all P values > 0.05).

Conclusions: The rate of CD loss in the DCP is significantly faster in highly myopic eyes than in healthy eyes and is related to baseline AL. The CD in the outer ring reduces faster in eyes with longer baseline AL.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: F. Lin, None; Z. Zhao, None; F. Li, None; Z. Qiu, None; X. Gao, None; Y. Song, None; P. Wang, None; J. Xiong, None; W. Cheng, None; K. Hu, None; M. Chen, None; X. Liang, None; Y. Yu, None; B. Yang, None; C. Yang, None; F. Wang, None; M. Tan, None; X. Zhang, None

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Representative fundus photos and 6 × 6 mm macular optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scans (superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, and choriocapillaris) of normal and highly myopic eyes. The capillary density is automatically calculated according to the regions of the ETDRS grid. The inner ring is an area with an inner diameter of 1 mm and an outer diameter of 3 mm, whereas the outer ring is an area with an inner diameter of 3 mm and an outer diameter of 6 mm.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Violin plots showing rates of change in macular CD in the DCP in normal and highly myopic eyes. Highly myopic eyes showed faster rates of CD loss in the whole image and the outer ring of the DCP, but not the inner ring, than healthy eyes.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Scatterplots illustrating the linear association between baseline AL and rates of change in CD in the DCP in all eyes. A longer AL was negatively correlated with a faster rate of CD loss in the whole image and outer ring.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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