Effect of axial length on peripapillary microvasculature: An optical coherence tomography angiography study.

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of axial length (AL) on the peripapillary microvascular density acquired from optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).MethodsRetrospective observational study. A total of 111 eyes from 111 normal healthy subjects were examined. The subjects were divided into three groups according to the AL: Group 1 (AL: ResultsThe average ALs of Groups 1-3 were 23.33± 0.57, 25.05± 0.60, and 27.42± 0.82, respectively. Average VD (P = 0.009) and PD (P = 0.029) in the inner ring increased with increasing AL. However, average VD (P ConclusionsPeripapillary VD and PD were significantly associated with AL. Depending on the distance from the disc, peripapillary VDs and PDs of the inner and outer rings were differentially affected by AL. Physicians should therefore consider the effects of AL in the analyses of peripapillary microvasculature.