Evaluation of the effect of ocular dominance on macular microcirculation via swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography

Purpose

To determine the existence of differences in the retinal microcirculation of dominant and non-dominant eyes, as well as of interocular differences in macular microcirculation, using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods

In total, 122 eyes of 61 individuals were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Measurements were taken using the swept-source optical coherence tomography Triton device (Topcon Corp, Tokyo, Japan) coupled with non-invasive OCTA technology. Macular perfusion parameters were assessed, including superficial vascular complex, vascular density of the deep vascular complex, vascular density of the choriocapillaris vascular complex, superficial foveal avascular zone and deep foveal avascular zone. Ocular dominance was determined among individuals with healthy eyes using the hole-in-the-card test.

Results

Ocular dominance was found in 68.9 % of right eyes and 31.1 % of left eyes. The mean age of the subjects was 34.45 ± 16.48 years (range: 18–73 years). We found that 16 (30.76 %) males and 22 (31.42 %) females had left-eye dominance (p > 0.05). None of the OCTA parameters differed between the eyes based on dominance (p > 0.05). Central macular thickness and sub-foveal choroidal thickness did not show significant differences (p > 0.05). When comparing interocular parameters, a significant difference was observed only in the inferior sector of the superficial vascular complex (p = 0.04).

Conclusion

There was no significant difference in OCTA parameters between dominant and non-dominant eyes. There was no predominant interocular difference in the measurements.