OCTA parameters clinically useful biomarker for monitoring pediatric migraine

New research revealed that pediatric migraine that appears to be linked to reduced superficial entire and parafoveal vessel densities due to hypoperfusion and ischemia, can be easily followed up and managed by optical coherence tomography angiography. The study was published in the Journal of Neuro-ophthalmology.  

 Migraine is common neurological condition in the pediatric population affecting boys and girls equally in childhood. The prevalence of it increases over the course of Childhood and adolescence. Recognizing the condition is very important owing to its high prevalence and the associated disability. As it is well recognized that migraine increases the risk of retinal and optic nerve damage in pediatric population, researchers conducted a study to use optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to assess the optic disc and retinal microvasculature in children with pediatric migraine (PM). 

A cross sectional prospective study was carried out on forty-six eyes of 23 patients with PM without aura (PM group) and 46 eyes of 23 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (control group). Ophthalmological evaluation included OCTA measurements along with Demographic features was taken. OCTA was performed with 6- × 6-mm sections for macula and 4.5- × 4.5-mm sections for optic nerve head in all eyes. In between group comparision and analysis of Foveal retinal thickness (FRT), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, vessel density in different sections of the retina, and optic disc was carried out. All measurements of the PM patients were taken in the attack-free period.