Macula and optic disc vessel density analyses in systemic lupus erythematosus with optical coherence tomography angiography

Abstract

To evaluate the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) findings in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients with SLE and 27 eyes of 27 age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The vessel densities in the macula and optic disc were evaluated using the OCT-A (Optovue, Inc., Freemont, CA). Foveal retinal thickness, retinal vascular density in superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus, and choriocapillaris, foveal avascular zone (FAZ), acircularity index, foveal vessel density (FD), and non-flow area in the superficial retina, the capillary and all-vessels density in the peripapillary area and the inside-disc area were automatically measured using Angiovue software of OCT-A and compared between the groups. The foveal, parafoveal and perifoveal retinal vessel densities in the superficial and deep capillary plexus and choriocapillaris were similar between groups. FAZ area, FAZ perimetry, acirculatory index, FD and non-flow area did not show a statistically significant difference. The vessel density in the inside disc area was significantly lower in patients with SLE (46.3 ± 3.8%) compared to the control group (49.1 ± 4.8%) (P = .02). Our results demonstrate significant decrement in vessel density in the inside-disc area in patients with SLE. The lower vessel density measurement in the inside-disc area might be associated with early neurologic vascular impairment in SLE. Further studies are required to determine the clinical relevance of this finding.

Figure 1.

(A–C) Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) images and data analyses of superficial vascular plexus (A), deep vascular plexus (B), and choriocapillaris (C) of subjects in terms of vessel density (%), respectively. (D) Image of data analyses of fovea avascular zone (FAZ, mm²), FAZ perimetry (mm), acirculatory index (AI), foveal vessel density 300μm around FAZ (FD-300, %). (E) Image analysis of the non-flow area of FAZ in the superficial retina (mm²).

Figure 2.

A representative for optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) images and data analyses of optical disc vascular densities. (A) A representative image from a SLE patient. (B) A representative image for control group.