Morphological features in anterior scleral inflammation using swept-source optical coherence tomography with multiple...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Anterior scleral inflammation, including episcleritis and scleritis, requires accurate diagnostic tools.
• Morphological characterization of these conditions is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the morphological features of anterior scleral inflammation using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).
• To differentiate between scleritis and episcleritis based on SS-OCT findings.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study involving 17 eyes with diffuse anterior scleral inflammation and 13 healthy control eyes.
• Cross-sectional imaging of conjunctiva, episclera, and sclera using SS-OCT with multiple B-scan averaging.

Main Results:

• Eyes with diffuse anterior scleral inflammation showed significantly thicker conjunctival stroma/episclera compared to normal eyes (403.0 μm vs 288.0 μm, p=0.002).
• No significant difference in scleral stroma thickness was observed between inflamed and normal eyes.
• Diffuse scleritis eyes had thicker conjunctival epithelium and stroma/episclera than diffuse episcleritis eyes, with comparable scleral stroma thickness to normal eyes.

Conclusions:

• Swelling in diffuse scleritis primarily involves the episclera, not the scleral stroma.
• SS-OCT is a valuable tool for evaluating inflammation activity and therapeutic effects in diffuse scleritis due to its ability to visualize episcleral and scleral morphology.