Visible-Light Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography for Monitoring Laser-Induced Choroidal Neovascularization in...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a leading cause of vision loss.
• Early detection and monitoring of CNV are crucial for effective treatment.
• Laser-induced CNV in mice is a common model for studying neovascular eye diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the earliest time point for detecting choroidal neovascularization (CNV) using visible-light optical coherence tomography angiography (vis-OCTA).
• To evaluate the reliability of vis-OCTA in measuring CNV lesion size in a mouse model.
• To compare vis-OCTA findings with histopathological data.

Main Methods:

• Laser-induced CNV was created in mice.
• Visible-light optical coherence tomography angiography (vis-OCTA) was used to image CNV at various time points post-injury.
• CNV lesion areas from vis-OCTA were compared with measurements from isolectin-stained choroidal flatmounts.

Main Results:

• Vis-OCTA detected aberrant vessels by day 5 post-laser injury.
• CNV area measurements by vis-OCTA and histopathology showed significant differences on days 2-4 but were comparable on days 5, 7, and 14.
• Both methods indicated a similar trend of CNV growth peaking at day 7 and decreasing by day 14.

Conclusions:

• Visible-light optical coherence tomography angiography (vis-OCTA) can reliably detect choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in a mouse model as early as 5 days after laser injury.
• Vis-OCTA accurately visualizes the maximum extent of the CNV network, aligning with histopathological findings.
• Vis-OCTA is a valuable tool for both detecting CNV development and quantifying lesion size in preclinical models.