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Updated: Mar 31, 2026
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY OF SICKLE CELL MACULOPATHY
Christian J Sanfilippo1, Michael A Klufas, David Sarraf
1Retina Division and Retinal Disorders and Ophthalmic Genetics, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Purpose:
To report a case of sickle cell retinopathy imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography.
Methods:
Case report.
Results:
An asymptomatic 33-year-old man with known sickle cell anemia (SS) presented for routine eye examination. Ultrawide-field fluorescein angiography confirmed areas of temporal nonperfusion without neovascularization and subtle enlargement of the foveal avascular zone in the left eye. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed thinning of the inner layers of the temporal macula in both eyes. Optovue split-spectrum amplitude decorrelation angiography optical coherence tomography was performed and showed reduced flow within the superficial and deep macular plexuses of each eye, most severely within the deep retinal capillary plexus. This abnormality was more extensive than could it be appreciated with conventional angiography.
Conclusion:
This report provides evidence that optical coherence tomography angiography may be more sensitive in detecting macular capillary nonperfusion than fluorescein angiography. It also provides further evidence that the ischemic vasculopathy of sickle cell retinopathy preferentially affects the deep capillary plexus.
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