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Use of OCT Retinal Thickness Deviation Map for Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy Screening
Ko Eun Kim1, Seong Joon Ahn2, Se Joon Woo3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ophthalmology
|June 20, 2020
Summary
A new retinal thickness deviation map from swept-source OCT aids hydroxychloroquine retinopathy screening. This tool offers objective evaluation, potentially improving early detection and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Medical Imaging
- Retinal Diseases
Background:
- Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is used to treat autoimmune diseases.
- HCQ retinopathy is a serious side effect that can lead to vision loss.
- Early detection of HCQ retinopathy is crucial for preventing irreversible vision damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of a retinal thickness deviation map generated using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS OCT) for screening hydroxychloroquine retinopathy.
- To develop and validate diagnostic criteria for HCQ retinopathy based on SS OCT imaging.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study involving 1192 Korean patients treated with HCQ.
- SS OCT macular volume scans were analyzed to generate retinal thickness deviation maps.
- Diagnostic criteria were developed using a discovery set and validated in a separate validation set.
Main Results:
- The retinal thickness deviation map identified characteristic abnormal patterns in eyes with HCQ retinopathy.
- A criterion of ≥5 contiguous red pixels in specific patterns demonstrated high diagnostic performance (98.2% sensitivity, 89.1% specificity in the discovery set).
- Abnormal map areas significantly correlated with visual field test results (mean deviation and pattern standard deviation).
Conclusions:
- The retinal thickness deviation map provides an objective method for evaluating HCQ retinopathy, bypassing subjective assessment of outer retinal layers.
- This imaging tool has the potential to enhance HCQ retinopathy screening when integrated with existing methods.
