Decreased retinal microvasculature densities in pterygium
Authors:   Department of Ophthalmology, Meizhou Pepole&#x2019;s Hospital, Meizhou 514000, Guangdong Province, China, Wang Feng , Shu Hui-Ye ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Centre of National Clinical Ophthalmology Research Centre, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Liao Xu-Lin ,   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories 999077, Hong Kong, China, Liang Rong-Bin ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Centre of National Clinical Ophthalmology Research Centre, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Li Qiu-Yu ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Centre of National Clinical Ophthalmology Research Centre, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Zhang Li-Juan ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Centre of National Clinical Ophthalmology Research Centre, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Gao Gui-Ping ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Centre of National Clinical Ophthalmology Research Centre, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Shao Yi ,   Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Centre of National Clinical Ophthalmology Research Centre, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Published: November 2021

AIM: To investigate the retinal vascular network alterations in eyes of patients with pterygium.
METHODS: Totally 18 left eyes from 18 female pterygium patients and 18 left eyes from 18 female healthy control subjects were enrolled. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images were generated of the superficial retinal layer and deeper retinal layer of the macular retina for each eye. The microvascular (MIR) and macrovascular (MAR) densities were calculated and MIR, MAR, and total microvascular (TMI) density was compared in the healthy control and pterygium groups.
RESULTS: In pterygium group, in the superficial retinal layer, the vascular density in superficial MIR, superior right (SR), inferior right (IR), right (R), superficial central annuli (SC)1, SC2, and SC3 decreased significantly in the macular area (P<0.05). Furthermore, the vascular density in all those decreased regions except R, was significantly and negatively correlated with the disease course (r=-0.6038 to -0.7762, P=0.0008), and the area size of pterygium (r=-0.6043 to -0.9508, P<0.05). For the deeper retinal layer, the density of deep total microvessel (DTMI), deeper MIR, SR, IR, R, DC2, and DC3 decreased significantly in macular area of pterygium patients (P<0.05). Furthermore, the vascular density in all those decreased regions was significantly and negatively correlated with the disease course (r=-0.6901 to -0.7795, P=0.0015), and the area size of pterygium (r=-0.6043 to -0.9563, P<0.05). No statistically significant differences and correlation was found in other region density (|r|<0.47, P>0.05).
CONCLUSION: OCTA findings suggest that pterygium patients present with decreased retinal MIR density, and the major vascular alterations occurr mainly on the bitamporal side. The vascular density of the superficial SC1, SC2, SC3 adjacent to the foveal and deep layer of DC2, DC2 regions, significantly decreased.