Original article
Relationship of Retinal Vascular Caliber with Optic Disc and Macular Structure

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2009.04.006Get rights and content

Purpose

To examine the relationships of retinal vascular caliber with optic disc, macular, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) characteristics as measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Design

Observational cross-sectional study.

Methods

This study included a subset of healthy children enrolled in the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors of Myopia (SCORM). Optic disc, macular, and RNFL morphology were measured with Stratus OCT 3. Digital retinal photography was performed and retinal arteriolar and venular caliber measured using validated imaging software.

Results

One hundred and four children (mean age 11.51 ± 0.52 years; 50% male) were included. In multivariate analyses, smaller horizontal integrated rim width and rim area were associated with narrower retinal arterioles and venules (all P < .05), and shorter horizontal rim length was associated with narrower venules (P = .04). Optic disc diameter was not associated with arteriolar or venular caliber. Larger vertical cup-to-disc ratios and cup-to-disc-area ratios were associated with narrower venules but not arterioles (P = .01 and P = .003, respectively). A thinner average RNFL measurement was associated with narrower arterioles and venules, and smaller total macular volume was associated with narrower venules.

Conclusions

Thinner optic disc rims and RNFL measurements were associated with narrower retinal arterioles and venules, and larger cup-to-disc ratios with narrower venules. These findings suggest that retinal vessel caliber varies systematically with morphologic differences in the optic nerve head, retina, and macula.

Section snippets

Study Population

This cross-sectional study was on a subset of participants from the Singapore Cohort Study of Risk Factors for Myopia (SCORM), which examined 1,979 children aged 7 to 9 years at baseline in 1999 and thereafter yearly in 3 schools in Singapore. The study methodology and details of the study population have been described in detail elsewhere.11, 12 The main exclusion criteria included significant systemic illnesses and ocular conditions including media opacity, uveitis, or a history of

Results

The mean age of the subjects included in the study was 11.51 ± 0.52 years, half were male, and the mean CRAE and CRVE were 154.05 ± 10.87 μm and 230.32 ± 16.26 μm, respectively. The mean spherical equivalent refraction was 0.46 ± 0.48 diopters and the mean AL was 22.86 ± 0.69 mm. Compared to excluded children (n = 590), children included in the study (n = 104) were more likely to be Chinese and younger. (11.51 ± 0.52 years vs 12.21 ± 1.12 years; P < .001) (data not shown).

Table 1 summarizes the

Discussion

Our study in a population sample of healthy school-aged Chinese children demonstrates significant correlations between retinal vascular caliber and different optic disc, RNFL, and macular features as measured by OCT. Given the high reliability and reproducibility of both of these imaging modalities,23, 24, 25, 26 and the absence of ocular or systemic disease in the study population, our findings likely represent physiologic relationships with a high degree of validity. We found that thinner

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