LOCATING AND CHARACTERIZING ANGIOID STREAKS WITH EN FACE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Angioid streaks (AS) are a significant finding in ophthalmology, often associated with conditions like myopia.
• Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to AS can lead to severe visual impairment.

Observation:

• A case report details a patient with myopia and sudden visual loss due to CNV secondary to AS.
• Swept-source en face OCT was utilized to image the angioid streaks and compare its efficacy with other imaging modalities.

Findings:

• En face OCT visualized angioid streaks as darker than surrounding retinal and choroidal vasculature.
• The imaging localized AS changes to the Bruch membrane level.
• En face OCT uniquely identified an interruption of AS by CNV, a detail missed by other methods.

Implications:

• En face OCT provides a comprehensive assessment of Bruch membrane changes in AS.
• This technology elucidates the spatial relationship between angioid streaks and choroidal neovascularization.
• Enhanced visualization aids in understanding and managing AS-related complications.