Decreased retinal microvasculature densities in pterygium

Abstract

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 (P0.05). 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.

Keywords

• retinal microvasculature
• density
• pterygium
• optical coherence tomography angiography