Abstract
PurposeRetinal vessel analysis is affected by both systemic and ocular factors. Malays are the major ethnicity in South East Asia. Data on the retinal microvasculature in Malays is limited, especially among children. We aim to evaluate the influence of ocular biometry on retinal vessel parameters in young Malay girls.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study involving 86 Malay girls aged 6 to 12 years old in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from 2015–2016. Ocular examination, refraction, biometry, retinal photography, and anthropometric measurements were performed. The central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) and overall fractal dimension (Df) were measured using validated computer-based methods (Singapore I vessel analyzer, SIVA version 3.0, Singapore). The associations of ocular biometry and CRAE, CRVE and Df were analyzed using multivariable analysis.ResultsThe mean CRAE, CRVE and Df in Malay girls were 171.40 (14.40) um, 248.02 (16.95) um and 1.42 (0.05) respectively. Each 1 mm increase in axial length was associated with a reduction of 4.25 um in the CRAE (p = 0.03) and a reduction of 0.02 in the Df (p = 0.02), after adjustment for age, blood pressure and body mass index. No association was observed between axial length and CRVE. Anterior chamber depth and corneal curvature had no association with CRAE, CRVE or Df.ConclusionAxial length affects retinal vessel measurements. Narrower retinal arterioles and reduced retinal fractal dimension were observed in Malay girls with longer axial lengths.
Highlights
The human microvasculature, which previously could be evaluated only by relatively invasive methods, is gradually becoming an open book to us via the retinal circulation [1, 2]
Each 1 mm increase in axial length was associated with a reduction of 4.25 um in the central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) (p = 0.03) and a reduction of 0.02 in the Df (p = 0.02), after adjustment for age, blood pressure and body mass index
No association was observed between axial length and central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE)
Summary
The human microvasculature, which previously could be evaluated only by relatively invasive methods, is gradually becoming an open book to us via the retinal circulation [1, 2]. A significant proportion of the population living in South East Asia fall under the category of ‘Malay’, or ‘Austronesian people’ [16]. This indigenous group of people has been estimated to number approximately 300 million in South East Asia [17]. The general absence of confounding factors related to systemic and ocular disease makes them an ideal study population for acquiring normative data, and in analyzing the relationship between anatomico-physiological factors and retinal vessel parameters [14]. As retinal vessel analysis has been reported to be affected by a variety of factors, which may differ in different populations, we aim to evaluate the influence of ocular biometry on retinal vessel caliber and retinal fractal dimension in young Malay girls
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