PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Ocular biometric parameters changes and choroidal vascular abnormalities in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 evaluated by OCT-A.

  • Aldo Vagge,
  • Paolo Corazza,
  • Lorenzo Ferro Desideri,
  • Paola Camicione,
  • Giulia Agosto,
  • Roberta Vagge,
  • Calevo Maria Grazia,
  • Adriano Carnevali,
  • Giuseppe Giannaccare,
  • Massimo Nicolò,
  • Carlo Enrico Traverso

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251098
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 5
p. e0251098

Abstract

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PurposeTo analyze ocular biometric parameters alterations of the posterior pole and choroidal abnormalities in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) by adopting multimodal imaging, especially focusing on the role of novel diagnostic devices like swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA).MethodsIn this prospective, case-controlled study, patients with NF1 and age-matched control subjects were quantitatively analyzed by using multimodal imaging. All the subjects underwent confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO), SS-OCT and SS-OCTA examinations.ResultsSS-OCT analysis revealed a lower macular retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with NF1 compared with those with suspected NF1 (95.0±15.9 vs 109.7±11.3 μm; P = 0.001) and control subjects (106.8±14.4 μm, P = 0.003). Retinal thickness was significantly lower in NF1 patients compared to those with suspected NF1 (280.7±23.0 vs 304.2±15.3 μm; P ConclusionsRetinal thicknesses alterations and choroidal nodules are described as ocular manifestations in patients with NF1. In addition, OCTA could represent an important novel advanced imaging technique, capable of detecting early altered retinal and choroidal vascular flow area in patients with NF1.