Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between different optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) parameters and the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Patients and methods: Sixty eyes of 60 participants were included in this prospective study: 40 diabetic patients [20 with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR group), 20 with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR group)] and 20 age- and gender-matched normal healthy subjects (control group). After full ophthalmological examination and fundus fluorescein angiography, OCTA was performed for all participants. Quantitative OCTA parameters, such as the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, the superficial capillary plexus vessel density (%) (SCP-VD) and the deep capillary plexus vessel density (%) (DCP-VD) in, whole and parafoveal areas were measured. Correlations between BCVA and OCTA parameters were analyzed.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding age, gender, refraction, macular thickness or intraocular pressure. The median (IQR) FAZ area was 0.42 (0.39-0.46) mm2 in the NPDR group, 0.54 (0.45-0.65) mm2 in the PDR group and 0.24 (0.21-0.26) mm2 in the control group (P