A Quantitative Normative Database for Expanded Field Swept-source OCT Angiography in the Pediatric Population.

Abstract

Background and objective: To report quantitative vascular metrics of healthy control eyes of children, using expanded field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA), as a baseline to compare with pathologic findings.

Patients and methods: A cross-sectional observational study of healthy eyes of children (age 6 to 18) who were imaged on the PLEX Elite 9000 instrument at 100-kHz scanning rate using 3 × 3-mm, 6 × 6-mm, and 12 × 12-mm protocols centered on the fovea (2019 to 2023). Scans were uploaded to the ARI Network (Zeiss Portal v5.4) and processed with the macular density algorithm (v.0.7.3.3) to calculate vessel density (VD) and vessel skeletonized density (VSD) in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus, and whole retina (WR) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) metrics.

Results: Forty-eight eyes of 39 children (72% male) were included. Median age was 14 years (interquartile range 10 to 16). Male sex was associated with lower VD and VSD compared to female sex (P < 0.05). Older age was associated with higher VD and VSD (6 × 6-mm) (P < 0.05) and lower FAZ circularity (P = 0.017). Non-Hispanic White children had a lower VD and VSD of the SCP in the inner superior ring (3 × 3-mm), a higher VD and VSD of the SCP and WR in the central ring (6 × 6-mm), and a lower FAZ area (6 × 6-mm) (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study presents a database for expanded field vascular metrics in pediatric subjects across various angiogram sizes. The VD increases throughout childhood and the FAZ circularity diminishes. Future studies using SS-OCTA will need to account for influencing factors such as sex, age, race, and ethnicity. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2025;56:212-218.].