Artificial Intelligence-based quantitative evaluation of retinal vascular parameters in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

Purpose Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) may result in increased metabolism and abnormalities in microcirculation. The fractal dimension (Df) of retinal vessels has been shown to be related to the pathology of a number of ophthalmic disorders, but it hasn’t been investigated in TAO. Methods We analyzed 1078 participants aged 18 to 72 (548 healthy volunteers and 530 TAO). Images were captured using a non-mydriatic 45-degree fundus camera. Baseline retinal characteristics, such as vessel width, tortuosity, and Df were measured using semiautomated software from fundus images. The average retinal parameters were compared between the two groups. The receiver operation curve (ROC) was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of various retinal vascular parameters for TAO. Results Despite controlling for potential confounding variables, Df, vessel width, and tortuosity significantly increased in TAO compared to healthy volunteers. Compared to active TAO, patients in the inactive phase had a larger retinal venous caliber ( p < 0.05), but there was no difference in Df or arterial caliber. Moderate and severe cases had a higher Df compared with mild cases (EUGOGO guidelines). The area under the ROC for Df, tortuosity, and vascular caliber in the diagnosis of TAO was 0.904 (95% CI: 0.884–0.924), 0.638 (95% CI: 0.598–0.679), and 0.617 (95% CI: 0.576–0.658), respectively. Conclusions Due to its accessibility, affordability, and non-invasive nature, retinal vascular Df may serve as a surrogate marker for TAO and might be used to identify severe cases. With relatively high diagnostic performance, the Df is of some utility for the detection of TAO.