Characteristics of retinal vessels in surgically closed macular hole: an optical coherence tomography angiography study

Cheolmin Yun, Jaemoon Ahn, Mingue Kim, Jee Taek Kim, Soon Young Hwang, Seong Woo Kim, Jaeryung Oh

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    29 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Purpose: The purpose of our study was to investigate characteristics of retinal vessels in eyes with surgically closed macular holes (MH). Methods: We included patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic MH and a follow-up examination using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). The area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and retinal vascular densities of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) were calculated on the postoperative OCTA images and compared with those of age-matched normal controls. Results: Twenty-eight patients with MH and 28 controls were included. Mean postoperative FAZ areas of SCP and DCP (0.317 ± 0.129 mm2 and 0.500 ± 0.174 mm2) were smaller than those of normal controls (0.406 ± 0.131 mm2 and 0.687 ± 0.147 mm2) (P = 0.013 and P < 0.001, respectively). Retinal vascular densities of SCP and DCP in the MH group (32.23 ± 1.45% and 31.85 ± 1.28%) were lower than those of the control group (33.26 ± 1.71% and 33.18 ± 1.89%) (P = 0.019 and P = 0.003, respectively). The retinal vascular densities of SCP and DCP were associated with postoperative mean ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness (P = 0.033 and P = 0.035, respectively). The vascular densities were horizontally asymmetric and related to asymmetric distribution of GC-IPL thickness in the MH group. Conclusions: Surgically closed MH eyes had remodeled retinal vascular patterns, which were related to morphologic changes in the inner retinal layer. The healing process after MH surgery may be involved in asymmetric change in anatomy and hemodynamics of the inner retina.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1923-1934
    Number of pages12
    JournalGraefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
    Volume255
    Issue number10
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017 Oct 1

    Bibliographical note

    Funding Information:
    This manuscript is based upon work supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea) under the Industrial Technology Innovation (10063364).

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

    Keywords

    • Deep capillary plexus
    • Macular hole
    • Optical coherence tomography angiography
    • Superficial capillary plexus

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Ophthalmology
    • Sensory Systems
    • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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