Quantitative analysis of early diabetic retinopathy based on optical coherence tomography angiography biological image

Abstract

BACKGROUND With the development of the economy and improvements in living standards, the incidences of diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is a complication of DM, are on the rise. AIM To analyze early DR in patients with macular zone changes in biological images using optical coherence tomography angiography METHODS A prospective case study was performed on 59 participants: 35 healthy eyes (control group), 35 eyes with diabetes but no DR group (no DR group), and 35 eyes with mild DR (NPDR group). All quantitative comparisons of parameters, including the fovea vascularity area, circularity index, and vascular complexity parameters, were performed using a biological image analysis software. RESULTS The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, FAZ circularity index, number of branches in the area, and the total of the single branches' length in the area was 0.366 ± 0.031, 0.834 ± 0.037, 3241.8 ± 268.3, and 3.860 x 107 ± 0.194 x 107, and 0.421 ± 0.030, 0.739 ± 0.023, 2956.6 ± 476.4, and 3.177 x 107 ± 0.161 x 107 in the no DR group and the NPDR group, respectively, which were significantly different from the corresponding parameters of the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences between these two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION This study shows that early microcirculation changes in the macular area of the retina is associated with disease progression. Early changes in DR can be analyzed using optical coherence tomography angiography.