Cilioretinal Arteries and Macular Vasculature in Highly Myopic Eyes

Purpose To determine the association between the presence of cilioretinal arteries and the macular vasculature in highly myopic eyes using OCT angiography (OCTA). Design Retrospective, observational case series. Participants Four hundred eighty-one highly myopic eyes of 481 patients. Methods Fundus photographs were reviewed to determine the presence of a cilioretinal artery and its distribution, based on whether its path or visible branches reached the region within 500 μm of the foveal center. The macular vasculature was analyzed in OCTA images, including the vessel density (VD), fractal dimension (FD), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ). The associations between the presence of a cilioretinal artery and its distribution and between the macular vasculature and visual acuity were evaluated. Main Outcome Measures Cilioretinal arteries, macular vasculature, and their associations. Results Of the eyes included, 17.05% (82/481) had a cilioretinal artery. Based on the OCTA analysis, the eyes with cilioretinal arteries showed significantly higher VD and FD in both superficial and deep capillary plexuses and smaller FAZ than those without (all P Conclusions This OCTA-based study suggested that cilioretinal arteries in highly myopic eyes potentially may improve the macular vasculature and influence visual function.