Faculty Collaboration Database

Imaging Foveal Microvasculature: Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Versus Adaptive Optics Scanning Light Ophthalmoscope Fluorescein Angiography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2016 Jul 01;57(9):OCT130-40

Date

07/15/2016

Pubmed ID

27409463

Pubmed Central ID

PMC4968918

DOI

10.1167/iovs.15-18932

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84978505401 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   106 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: To compare the use of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope fluorescein angiography (AOSLO FA) for characterizing the foveal microvasculature in healthy and vasculopathic eyes.

METHODS: Four healthy controls and 11 vasculopathic patients (4 diabetic retinopathy, 4 retinal vein occlusion, and 3 sickle cell retinopathy) were imaged with OCTA and AOSLO FA. Foveal perfusion maps were semiautomatically skeletonized for quantitative analysis, which included foveal avascular zone (FAZ) metrics (area, perimeter, acircularity index) and vessel density in three concentric annular regions of interest. On each set of OCTA and AOSLO FA images, matching vessel segments were used for lumen diameter measurement. Qualitative image comparisons were performed by visual identification of microaneurysms, vessel loops, leakage, and vessel segments.

RESULTS: Adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope FA and OCTA showed no statistically significant differences in FAZ perimeter, acircularity index, and vessel densities. Foveal avascular zone area, however, showed a small but statistically significant difference of 1.8% (P = 0.004). Lumen diameter was significantly larger on OCTA (mean difference 5.7 μm, P < 0.001). Microaneurysms, fine structure of vessel loops, leakage, and some vessel segments were visible on AOSLO FA but not OCTA, while blood vessels obscured by leakage were visible only on OCTA.

CONCLUSIONS: Optical coherence tomography angiography is comparable to AOSLO FA at imaging the foveal microvasculature except for differences in FAZ area, lumen diameter, and some qualitative features. These results, together with its ease of use, short acquisition time, and avoidance of potentially phototoxic blue light, support OCTA as a tool for monitoring ocular pathology and detecting early disease.

Author List

Mo S, Krawitz B, Efstathiadis E, Geyman L, Weitz R, Chui TY, Carroll J, Dubra A, Rosen RB

Author

Joseph J. Carroll PhD Director, Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Capillaries
Early Diagnosis
Equipment Design
Female
Fluorescein Angiography
Fovea Centralis
Fundus Oculi
Humans
Male
Microcirculation
Middle Aged
Ophthalmoscopes
Optics and Photonics
Reproducibility of Results
Retinal Diseases
Retinal Vessels
Tomography, Optical Coherence
Young Adult