Feasibility and Clinical Utility of Ultra-Widefield-Navigated Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Retinal Diagnostics

Background:

• Peripheral retinal pathologies require advanced imaging for accurate diagnosis and management.
• Ultra-widefield imaging enhances visualization of the retinal periphery compared to traditional methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical utility and feasibility of a novel scanning laser ophthalmoscope-based navigated ultra-widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography (UWF SS-OCT) system.
• To assess the diagnostic quality and impact on management decisions of UWF SS-OCT in routine retinal care.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series of 72 patients (82 eyes) imaged with UWF SS-OCT between September 2019 and October 2020.
• Evaluation of image acquisition logistics, interpretability, peripheral abnormality characteristics, and clinical utility in management.
• Blinded review assessed image diagnosticity for peripheral pathology.

Main Results:

• 86.4% of image series were diagnostic for peripheral pathology.
• Chorioretinal scars were the most common finding (18 eyes).
• Images supported clinical decision-making in 38% (31 eyes) of cases, influencing treatment plans.

Conclusions:

• Navigated UWF SS-OCT is clinically practical and provides high-quality characterization of peripheral retinal lesions.
• The imaging modality directly contributed to management plans for a significant subset of patients.
• Further research is warranted to fully establish the value of UWF SS-OCT in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating peripheral retinal diseases.