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Author Spotlight: Ex Vivo OCT-Based Multimodal Imaging of Human Donor Eyes for Research into Age-Related Macular Degeneration
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Macular Telangiectasia type 2: multimodal assessment of retinal function and microstructure
Anna A Ledolter1, Robin Ristl2, Anja M Palmowski-Wolfe3
1Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Acta Ophthalmologica
|December 2, 2021
Summary
Macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) causes neurodegenerative changes impacting retinal sensitivity and function. Microperimetry and multifocal electroretinography are complementary tools for assessing macular dysfunction in MacTel.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Retinal Imaging
Background:
- Macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) is a degenerative condition affecting the macula.
- Understanding the structural and functional consequences of MacTel is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate how neurodegenerative changes in MacTel affect microperimetry (MP) and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG).
- To correlate structural alterations observed via SD-OCT with functional deficits measured by MP and mfERG.
Main Methods:
- Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), mfERG, and MP were used to examine 35 eyes from 18 MacTel patients.
- Custom software facilitated direct correlation between SD-OCT scans, MP sensitivity maps, and mfERG data.
Main Results:
- Loss of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) significantly correlated with reduced retinal sensitivity (p < 0.001) but had a limited impact on mfERG (p = 0.121).
- Inner retinal hyporeflectivity was associated with MP sensitivity loss (p < 0.001), while EZ loss showed a greater impact on MP.
- Both MP and mfERG detected macular dysfunction, with differing sensitivities to inner and outer retinal changes.
Conclusions:
- Microperimetry and multifocal electroretinography are valuable non-invasive methods for detecting localized macular dysfunction in MacTel.
- MP and mfERG offer complementary information regarding inner and outer retinal changes, aiding in a comprehensive assessment of MacTel's impact on vision.
