Purpose The purpose of the current study was to determine associations between retinal blood flow and vessel morphology metrics in sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) and healthy normal control (NC) subjects. Methods Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and Doppler OCT imaging were performed in 12 SCR (15 eyes) and 19 NC (26 eyes) subjects. Vessel tortuosity was measured using a dedicated image analysis algorithm applied to OCTA images. Vessel density and spacing between vessels were determined from OCTA images by a fractal dimension analysis method. Retinal blood flow was quantified using a phase-resolved technique applied to en face Doppler OCT images. Results There was a significant association between increased retinal blood flow and increased vessel tortuosity (P = 0.03). Furthermore, increased retinal blood flow was associated with increased vessel density (P = 0.03) and decreased spacing between small vessels (P = 0.01). There was no significant association between retinal blood flow and spacing between large vessels (P = 0.11). Vessel tortuosity and blood flow were increased, whereas spacing between small vessels was decreased in SCR compared to NC group (P ≤ 0.03). There were no significant differences in vessel density or spacing between large vessels between the SCR and NC groups (P ≥ 0.31). Conclusions Associations between retinal hemodynamics and vessel morphology were reported, providing better understanding of retinal pathophysiology and insight into potential quantitative biomarkers to evaluate SCR.

As the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) continues to rise, there is a need to develop computer-aided screening methods. The current study reports and validates an ordinary least squares (OLS) method to model optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images and derive OLS parameters for classifying proliferative DR (PDR) and no/mild non-proliferative DR (NPDR) from non-diabetic subjects. OLS parameters were correlated with vessel metrics quantified from OCTA images and were used to determine predicted probabilities of PDR, no/mild NPDR, and non-diabetics. The classification rates of PDR and no/mild NPDR from non-diabetic subjects were 94% and 91%, respectively. The method had excellent predictive ability and was validated. With further development, the method may have potential clinical utility and contribute to image-based computer-aided screening and classification of stages of DR and other ocular and systemic diseases.

Precis: An association between macular vessel density (VD) and total retinal blood flow (TRBF) was demonstrated in subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and visual field (VF) loss. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report relationships of macular VD metrics and TRBF in POAG. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 POAG and 19 healthy control subjects participated in the study. Subjects underwent optical coherence tomography and angiography for measurements of inner retinal thickness (IRT), VD, and spacing between large vessels (SLV) and small vessels (SSV). Doppler optical coherence tomography imaging was performed for TRBF measurement. In POAG subjects, automated perimetry was performed and VF loss expressed as mean deviation was measured. Results: Compared with the control group, POAG group had decreased VD, TRBF, IRT, and increased SLV (P<0.0001). Decreased VD (Pearson correlation, r=0.51; P<0.0001; N=43) and increased SLV (Spearman correlation, r s=−0.47; P=0.001) were correlated with decreased TRBF. Decreased VD and SSV (r≥0.39; P≤0.001; N=43) and increased SLV (r s=−0.71; P<0.0001) were associated with decreased IRT. Decreased VF mean deviation was correlated with decreased VD, SSV, IRT (r≥0.53; P≤0.001; N=24), and with increased SLV (r s=−0.84; P<0.0001). Conclusions: The finding of an association between macular VD and TRBF supports the role of vascular factors in the pathophysiology of POAG and potential conduct of future studies aimed at identifying multiple image-based vascular metrics for disease diagnosis.

Purpose Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common cause of vision loss in working age adults and presents changes in retinal vessel oxygenation and morphology. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is an association of retinal vessel oxygen saturation with vessel density (VD) and tortuosity in DR. Methods Ninety-five subjects were classified in the following groups: nondiabetic control ( N = 25), no DR ( N = 28), mild nonproliferative DR (NPDR; N = 21), moderate to severe NPDR ( N = 14), or treated proliferative DR (PDR; N = 7). Retinal oximetry was performed to measure arterial and venous oxygen saturation (SO 2A and SO 2V ) and calculate oxygen extraction fraction (OEF). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was performed for measurements of VD and vessel tortuosity index (VTI). Results There were statistically significant differences in SO 2A and SO 2V among groups ( P < 0.004). SO 2A and SO 2V were higher in the PDR group compared to the control group and SO 2V was also higher in the moderate to severe NPDR group. VD differed significantly among groups ( P = 0.003), whereas VTI was not significantly different ( P = 0.22). Compared to the control group, VD was lower in moderate to severe NPDR and PDR groups. VD was also lower in the PDR group than that in the no DR group ( P = 0.03). There was a significant correlation of VTI with SO 2V (r = 0.32, P = 0.002) and OEF (r = −0.35, P = 0.001). Conclusions Retinal vessel morphology, oxygenation, and tissue oxygen extraction were associated with each other in a cohort of subjects with and without DR. Translational Relevance The findings of this study have the potential to improve clinical management of DR by providing better understanding of human disease pathophysiology and propelling future studies to identify multiple image-based biomarkers for improved disease diagnosis and monitoring.