Findings by SS-OCT and OCT-A in patients with sickle cell disease compared to healthy individuals

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the findings in central macular thickness, mean macular thickness, central choroidal thickness, and foveal avascular zone at the superficial and deep retinal plexus, and to compare the results with a group of healthy subjects. Methods: Descriptive study about SS-OCT and OCT-A findings in 28 eyes (14 patients) with electrophoretic confirmation of sickle cell disease and 60 eyes (30 patients) without systemic or ocular disorders. Results: In the sickle cell disease group, median central macular thickness was 194 vs. 229 µm in the healthy subjects group (p < 0.0001). The area of the foveal avascular zone at the superficial plexus showed a median value of 0.347 vs. 0.243 mm 2 (p < 0.0001) and at the deep capillary plexus of 0.461 vs. 0.321 mm 2 in the sickle cell disease and healthy subjects groups, respectively (p < 0.0001). The comparative measures of mean macular thickness and central choroidal thickness did not reveal significant statistical differences between groups. Conclusions: Compared to a healthy control group, patients with sickle cell disease had a statistically significant lower central macular thickness and an enlarged foveal avascular zone at both the superficial and deep plexuses. SS-OCT and OCT-A are non-invasive imaging modalities that provide high resolution images that can be useful to detect anatomic and micro vascular alterations in patients with sickle cell disease.