Application of optical coherence tomography angiography to study retinal and choroidal vascular changes in patients with first-time coronary artery stenosis

Objective: To study the changes in retinal and choroidal vessels in patients with coronary artery stenosis via optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: A total of 100 subjects were enrolled in this study and divided into two groups: the observation group consisted of 50 patients with angina who were first diagnosed with coronary artery stenosis, and the control group consisted of 50 healthy adults without angina symptoms. All of the subjects underwent OCTA to investigate changes in retinochoroidal vessel density in patients with a first diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis. The parameters included superficial capillary plexus density (SCD), deep capillary plexus density (DCD), retinal peripapillary capillary plexus density(RPD), the choroidal vascular index (CVI), and the macular foveal avascular zone(FAZ area, perimeter, acircularity index, FD-300 vessel density). Results: SCD and DCD in the coronary artery stenosis group were lower than those in the control group (P = 0.045 and P = 0.034, respectively), the CVI was lower than that in the control group (P = 0.029), the FAZ perimeter and acircularity index were greater than those in the control group (P = 0.003,P = 0.024). Logistic regression and ROC curve analysis revealed that FAZ perimeter was the most significant risk factor for predicting coronary artery stenosis (P = 0.005, AUC = 0.664), and the cut-off value for FAZ perimeter was 2.065 mm. Conclusions: In patients with a first diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis, both retinal and choroidal blood flow are reduced. FAZ perimeter is a risk factor for predicting the occurrence of coronary artery stenosis.