Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Healthy Subjects

Fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography provide information about normal retinal and choroidal anatomy that is nearly comparable to histological findings. These results are absolutely fundamental for the evaluation of retinal and choroidal vascular diseases and allow the clinician to define and diagnose several pathological conditions. Fluorescein angiography has become the 'gold standard' in retinal imaging due to its capacity to allow visualization of the retinal capillary bed and its changes, particularly in the macular area. Although the fluorescence of the injected dye enables improved visualization of retinal capillaries, not all of the different layers of the retinal capillary network can be visualized using this bi-dimensional examination technique, possibly because of a light scattering phenomenon. Optical coherence tomography angiography allows depth-resolved visualization of the retinal and choroidal microvasculature by calculating the difference between static and nonstatic tissue. Given that the main moving elements in the eye fundus are contained within vessels, determining a vascular decorrelation signal enables three-dimensional visualization of the retinal and choroidal vascular network without the administration of intravenous dye and therefore reduces the risk of potential adverse events.