Evaluation of optical coherence tomography angiography metrics in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: 4-year longitudinal study

To evaluate longitudinal changes in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) metrics in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

This prospective observational cohort study included thirty-two eyes from thirty T1D children with no history of diabetic retinopathy (DR) who were followed up for 4 years. Participants underwent OCTA examinations at baseline and during follow-up. Quantitative OCTA metrics were measured using a customized MATLAB algorithm. Generalized mixed-effect models were used to determine their relationship with DR development. Systemic parameters and OCTA metrics were screened using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify predictors for visual function.

Over the 4-year period, seven of the included eyes developed DR, and most OCTA metrics decreased with diabetes duration. Higher peripapillary and parafoveal nasal quadrant vessel area density (VAD) in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and vessel skeleton density (VSD) in both the SCP and the deep capillary plexus (DCP) were associated with a lower risk of DR in T1D. Parafoveal DCP VSD and VAD in the temporal and inferior quadrants were anticorrelated with changes in best corrected visual acuity.

OCTA metrics dynamically change over the duration of diabetes and can be used as biomarkers to improve the risk evaluation of DR development and visual function in T1D children and adolescents.