A Novel Method to Detect and Monitor Retinal Vasculitis Using Swept-Source OCT Angiography.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To introduce a novel method for assessment of retinal vasculitis using swept-source OCT angiography (SS-OCTA).

DESIGN:

Retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS:

Patients with retinal vasculitis.

METHODS:

The subjects were identified among the clinic population and imaged with 12 × 12-mm SS-OCTA scans centered on the fovea. A custom retina segmentation superimposed the color retinal thickness map on a modified en face flow scan. Findings from en face flow scans were correlated with localized perivascular retinal thickening on B-scans. Results from SS-OCTA were compared with fluorescein angiography (FA) to examine the proportion of perivascular thickening to retinal vascular leakage or staining.

RESULTS:

Twenty-one patients with retinal vasculitis underwent same-day FA and SS-OCTA. Visible retinal vascular leakage/staining on FA corresponded to increased perivascular retinal thickness on SS-OCTA in 17 patients. Five patients had a second examination with same-day FA and SS-OCTA after treatment of the vasculitis. Three of those 5 patients showed improved retinal vascular leakage/staining on post-treatment FA and decreased perivascular retinal thickness on SS-OCTA scans.

CONCLUSIONS:

Swept-source OCT angiography detects structural retinal thickening secondary to inflammatory retinal vascular leakage. Further studies are required to confirm whether SS-OCTA may serve as a semiquantitative alternative to FA to diagnose and monitor the response to treatment in patients with retinal vasculitis.

• Authors: Jila Noori, Yingying Shi, Jin Yang, Giovanni Gregori, Thomas A Albini, Philip J Rosenfeld, Janet L Davis
• Journal: Ophthalmology. Retina (Ophthalmol Retina) Vol. 5 Issue 12 Pg. 1226-1234 (12 2021) ISSN: 2468-6530 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33610835 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Published by Elsevier Inc.

Topics

• Fluorescein Angiography (methods)
• Fovea Centralis (diagnostic imaging)
• Fundus Oculi
• Humans
• Retinal Vasculitis (diagnosis)
• Retinal Vessels (diagnostic imaging)
• Retrospective Studies
• Tomography, Optical Coherence (methods)
• Visual Acuity