Relationship Between Refractive Parameter and Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Concentration and Optical Coherence Tomographic Angiography in Myopia Children with Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the risk factors contributing to myopia in children after the spontaneous regression of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), focusing on the relationship between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration, refractive parameters, and optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCTA) findings.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort of 198 patients who underwent fundus examinations at our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022, including 50 with myopia after regressed ROP (ROP-myopia group), 48 without myopia after regressed ROP (ROP-non-myopia group), 51 healthy myopic children (Myopia group), and 49 healthy non-myopic children (non-Myopia group), were enrolled. Serum VEGF levels, refractive parameters, and OCTA parameters were measured. Statistical analyses, including logistic regression, were performed to identify correlations between VEGF levels, OCTA parameters, and refractive outcomes.

Results: The ROP-myopia group had higher diopter (3.66 ± 0.83 D), lens thickness (4.91 ± 0.91 mm), and axial length (24.30 ± 1.58 mm), along with elevated serum VEGF levels (302.8 ± 14.00 pg/ml), compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Retinal vascular density (VD) and central foveal thickness (CFT) was higher in the ROP-myopia group (p < 0.05). VEGF, VD, and CFT were identified as independent risk factors for abnormal refractive parameters, with an ROC curve area of 0.9918 (p < 0.05), highlighting their significant roles in myopia development after regressed ROP.

Conclusion: The study highlights the significant influence of VEGF, VD, and CFT on refractive outcomes in children with regressed ROP. Monitoring changes in these parameters is crucial for early intervention to reduce the risk of myopia development.