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Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography of Retinal Circulation
Published on: September 18, 2012
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Phase-Resolved Doppler Optical Coherence Tomographic Features in Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation
Sankha Amarakoon1, Jan H de Jong2, Boy Braaf2
1Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Medical Retina Service, Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
American Journal of Ophthalmology
|July 27, 2015
Summary
Phase-resolved Doppler OCT effectively detects abnormal blood flow in retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) lesions. This non-invasive technique visualizes intraretinal neovascularization and choroidal anastomosis, improving diagnosis of RAP and related vascular pathologies.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) is a subtype of wet age-related macular degeneration.
- Conventional imaging techniques like fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography are invasive and offer limited insights into intraretinal blood flow.
- Accurate localization of abnormal blood flow is crucial for diagnosing and managing RAP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate phase-resolved Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) for detecting and localizing blood flow in RAP lesions.
- To compare the findings of phase-resolved Doppler OCT with conventional imaging methods.
- To assess the utility of this non-invasive technique in understanding RAP vascular characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, observational case series included twelve treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with RAP.
- Patients underwent imaging with an experimental 1040 nm swept-source phase-resolved Doppler OCT instrument.
- Abnormal flow was defined as intraretinal neovascularization or retinal choroidal anastomosis.
Main Results:
- Phase-resolved Doppler OCT successfully visualized abnormal blood flow in the RAP lesions of 11 out of 12 patients.
- Findings included retinal choroidal anastomosis (4 patients), intraretinal neovascularization with pigment epithelial detachment (3 patients), isolated intraretinal neovascularization (2 patients), and subretinal/sub-RPE flow (2 patients).
- The technique provided detailed visualization of blood flow patterns within the RAP lesions.
Conclusions:
- Phase-resolved Doppler OCT is a capable tool for detecting and localizing abnormal blood flow in RAP lesions.
- The study revealed that blood flow in RAP is predominantly intraretinal, often associated with pigment epithelial detachments, and can involve retinal choroidal anastomosis.
- This non-invasive angiography approach, combined with structural OCT data, aids in differentiating normal from pathological blood flow, advancing the understanding of retinal and choroidal vascular diseases like RAP.
