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Updated: Mar 16, 2026
Author Spotlight: Ex Vivo OCT-Based Multimodal Imaging of Human Donor Eyes for Research into Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published on: May 26, 2023
Multimodal imaging of foveal cavitation in retinal dystrophies
Maurizio Battaglia Parodi1, Maria Vittoria Cicinelli2, Pierluigi Iacono3
1Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
Purpose:
Inherited retinal dystrophies and cone dysfunction syndromes may show a sharp hyporeflective interruption in the outermost retinal layers on optical coherence tomography (OCT), known as foveal cavitation (FC). The aim of the study was to describe the morpho-functional features of FC in patients affected by retinal dystrophies by means of multimodal imaging.
Methods:
A consecutive series of patients affected by FC were prospectively recruited for the study. Patients underwent short-wavelength (SW) and near-infraRed (NIR) fundus autofluorescence (FAF), spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT), microperimetry (MP), and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Mean size of FC on OCT was correlated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
Results:
Overall, 15 patients (30 eyes) were enrolled. Mean age was 38.2 ± 14.5 years (range: 10-60), with nine females (60 %). Mean BCVA was 0.5 ± 0.4 LogMAR. SD-OCT revealed focal loss of outer retinal layers and disruption of inner segment ellipsoid zone. Vertical height of FC (mean 27.77 ± 18.77 μm) was indirectly related to BCVA; complete forms of FC, with total loss of outer OCT bands, showed a poorer visual outcome. The FC size on NIR-FAF turned out to be larger with respect to SD-OCT and SW-FAF.
Conclusion:
Our data indicate that the presence of FC worsens functional outcome in patients affected by retinal disorders; complete and higher lesions are associated with a worse morpho-functional prognosis in these eyes.
