AUTHOR=Chen Ruru , Liu Xinyu , Yao Mingyu , Zou Zhilin , Chen Xinyi , Li Zheng , Chen Xin , Su Mengjuan , Lian Hengli , Lu Weiwei , Yang Yizhou , McAlinden Colm , Wang Qinmei , Chen Shihao , Huang Jinhai 

TITLE=Precision (repeatability and reproducibility) of papillary and peripapillary vascular density measurements using optical coherence tomography angiography in children

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1037919

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1037919

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Objective: To assess the precision of papillary and peripapillary vascular density (VD) measurements using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and analyze the effects of the signal strength index (SSI) and axial length (AL) on precision estimates.
Methods: Seventy-eight children aged 616 years underwent 4.5 × 4.5 mm OCTA disc scans: two scans by one examiner (repeatability) and two additional scans by another examiner (reproducibility). Within-subject standard deviation (Sw), test-retest reproducibility (TRT), within-subject coefficient of variation (CoV), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland–Altman analysis were performed.
Results: In repeatability measurement, the fluctuation ranges (minimum to maximum) of VD between intraexaminer A/B in Sw, TRT, CoV, and ICC were (1.052.17)% / (1.162.32)%, (2.96)% / (3.216.44)%, (1.94.47)% / (2.085)%, and (0.5880.783) / (0.6330.803), respectively. In reproducibility measurement, the fluctuation ranges of VD in Sw, TRT, CoV, and ICC were 1.112.13%, 3.075.91%, 1.994.41%, and 0.6440.777, respectively. VD was negatively correlated with SSI in most sectors of the peripapillary (e.g., inferior nasal, temporal inferior, temporal superior, superior temporal, and superior nasal). AL was positively correlated with inferior temporal VD and negatively correlated with superior nasal VD.
Conclusion: OCTA showed good repeatability and reproducibility for papillary and peripapillary perfusion measurements in healthy children. The SSI value affects most of the peripapillary VD, while AL affects only the temporal inferior and nasal superior peripapillary VD.