Quantitative analysis of optic disc changes in school-age children with ametropia based on artificial intelligence

AIM: To explore changes in the optic disc and peripapillary atrophy (PPA) in school-age children with ametropia using color fundus photography combined with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. METHODS: Based on the retrospective case-controlled study, 226 eyes of 113 children aged aged 6-12y were enrolled from October 2021 to May 2022. According to the results of spherical equivalent (SE), the children were divided into four groups: low myopia group (66 eyes), moderate myopia group (60 eyes), high myopia group (50 eyes) and emmetropia control group (50 eyes). All subjects underwent un-aided visual acuity, dilated pupil optometry, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, ocular axis measurement and color fundus photography. RESULTS: The width of PPA, horizontal diameter ratio of PPA to the optic disc and area ratio of PPA to the optic disc were significantly different among the four groups (P<0.05). The width of the nasal and temporal neuroretinal rim, the roundness of the optic disc, the height of PPA, the vertical diameter ratio of PPA to the optic disc, and the average density of PPA in the high myopia group were significantly different compared with the other three groups (P<0.05). There were strong negative correlations between SE and area ratio of PPA to the optic disc (r=-0.812, P<0.001) and strong positive correlation between axial length (AL) and area ratio of PPA to the optic disc (r=0.736, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In school-age children with high myopia, the nasal and temporal neuroretinal rims are narrowed and even lost, which have high sensitivity. The area ratio of the PPA to the optic disc could be used as an early predictor of myopia progression, which is of great significance for the development prevention and management of myopia.