Effect of Prematurity on Foveal Development in Early School-Age Children

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the foveal development in preterm children with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods This study consisted of children aged 6-8 years who were prematurely born and did not receive retinopathy treatment. They were evaluated between September 2018 and July 2019, categorized according to gestational age (GA) (group I: GA≤30 weeks, group II: GA between 31 and 34 weeks), and compared with full-term children (group III). Central foveal thickness (CFT), inner retinal thickness (IRT), outer retinal thickness (ORT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT), temporal and nasal choroidal thickness (CT), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) diameter, and vessel densities of superficial (SCP-VD) and deep capillary plexuses (DCP-VD) of the foveal and parafoveal areas were examined in detail. Results The study included 126 eyes of 63 patients: group I, 40 eyes; group II, 46 eyes; and group III, 40 eyes. In group I, CFT, IRT, ORT, foveal SCP-VD, and foveal DCP-VD were significantly higher than those in the other groups, and temporal CT and FAZ diameter were significantly lower (p˂0.05). GA showed a significant negative correlation with CFT, IRT, ORT, foveal SCP-VD, and foveal DCP-VD and a significant positive correlation with subfoveal CT, temporal and nasal CT, and FAZ diameter (p˂0.05). Conclusion The morphological and vascular foveal structures in premature children of early school-age were different to those of full-term children. These differences were correlated with the GA and more pronounced in those with GA≤30 weeks.