To see the invisible: the quest of imaging vitreous

Imaging vitreous has long been a quest to view what is, by design, invisible. This chapter will review important historical aspects, past and present imaging methodologies, and new technologies that are currently in development for future research and clinical applications.

Classic and modern histologic techniques, dark-field slit microscopy, clinical slit lamp biomicroscopy, standard and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO), ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), combined OCT-SLO, magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopies, and dynamic light scattering methodologies are presented.

The best available histologic techniques for imaging vitreous are those that avoid rapid dehydration of vitreous specimens. Dark-field slit microscopy enables in vitro imaging without dehydration or tissue fixatives. OCT enables better in vivo visualization of the vitreoretinal interface than SLO and ultrasonography, but does not adequately image the vitreous body. The combination of OCT with SLO has provided useful new imaging capabilities, but only at the vitreoretinal interface. Dynamic light scattering can evaluate the vitreous body by determining the average sizes of vitreous macromolecules in aging, disease, and as a means to assess the effects of pharmacologic vitreolysis. Raman spectroscopy can detect altered vitreous molecules, such as glycated collagen and other proteins in diabetic vitreopathy and possibly other diseases.

A better understanding of normal vitreous physiology and structure and how these change in aging and disease is needed to develop more effective therapies and prevention. The quest to adequately image vitreous will likely only succeed through the combined use of more than one technique to provide better vitreous imaging for future research and clinical applications.