OCTA reveals early retinal changes in youth with type 1 diabetes before clinical signs of retinopathy
Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) can detect subtle, progressive retinal microvascular changes in young patients with type 1 diabetes, even before clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy appear, according to a study.
Researchers followed 40 patients with T1DM between the ages of 7 and 20 years and compared their OCTA findings to those of 40 age-matched healthy controls over 3 years. Investigators measured foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, perimeter, circularity, and vessel density in both the superficial and deep capillary plexuses using a wide-field 6×6 mm scan.
Results showed progressive enlargement and distortion of the FAZ in the T1DM group, with significant increases in FAZ area and perimeter and a notable decrease in circularity. In addition, both superficial and deep capillary plexus vessel density declined over time.
Reference
Dan AO, Mocanu CL, Ștefănescu-Dima AȘ, et al. OCT Angiography Assessment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Without Diabetic Retinopathy: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025;15(13):1703. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics15131703. PMID: 40647702; PMCID: PMC12249249.
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