Journal Article

Ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography in non-exudative age related macular degeneration

Fujimoto, J G, Duker, J S, Chan, A, Reichel, E, Ko, T H, Pieroni, C G, Witkin, A J, Ishikawa, H, Schuman, J S

2006

Overview

Aim: To describe the appearance of the non-exudative forms of age related macular degeneration (AMD) as imaged by ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT). Methods: A UHR-OCT ophthalmic imaging system, which utilises a femtosecond laser light source capable of ∼3 μm axial resolution, was employed to obtain retinal cross sectional images of patients with non-exudative AMD. Observational studies of the resulting retinal images were performed. Results: 52 eyes of 42 patients with the clinical diagnosis of non-exudative AMD were imaged using the UHR-OCT system. 47 of the 52 (90%) eyes had the clinical diagnosis of drusen and/or retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) changes. In these patients, three patterns of drusen were apparent on UHR-OCT: (1) distinct RPE excrescences, (2) a saw toothed pattern of the RPE, and (3) nodular drusen. On UHR-OCT, three eyes (6%) with a clinical diagnosis of non-exudative AMD had evidence of fluid under the retina or RPE. Two of these three patients had findings suspicious for subclinical choroidal neovascularisation on UHR-OCT. Conclusion: With the increased resolution of UHR-OCT compared to standard OCT, the involvement of the outer retinal layers are more clearly defined. UHR-OCT may allow for the detection of early exudative changes not visible clinically or by angiography.

• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd,BMJ,BMJ Publishing Group LTD,BMJ Group
• Subject: Age / age related macular degeneration / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Algorithms / AMD / Biological and medical sciences / choroidal neovascularisation / Clinical Science - Extended Report / CNV / drusen / Female / Fluorescein Angiography - methods / Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act 1996-US / Humans / inner segment / Macular degeneration / Macular Degeneration - complications / Macular Degeneration - pathology / Male / Medical imaging / Medical sciences / Middle Aged / Miscellaneous / OCT / Ophthalmology / Optic Disk Drusen - complications / Optic Disk Drusen - pathology / optical coherence tomography / outer segment / Pathogenesis / Patients / Photoreceptors / Pigment Epithelium of Eye - pathology / Retina / Retina - pathology / Retinal Detachment - complications / Retinal Detachment - pathology / retinal pigment epithelium / RPE / Tomography, Optical Coherence - methods / UHR-OCT / ultra high resolution optical coherence tomography / ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography / vascular endothelial growth factor / VEGF