Retinal Sublayer Analysis in Autoimmune Retinopathy and Identification of New Optical Coherence Tomography Phenotypes

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Immunology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Autoimmune retinopathy (AIR) is an under-characterized condition with diverse clinical presentations.
• Investigating AIR's pathophysiology is challenging due to its wide phenotypic spectrum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze optical coherence tomography (OCT) derived retinal thickness changes in patients with autoimmune retinopathy (AIR).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of AIR patients from 2007-2017 at a tertiary referral center.
• Performed OCT retinal sublayer analysis, focusing on paradoxical thickening phenotypes.

Main Results:

• Twenty-nine AIR patients with positive anti-retinal antibodies and OCT imaging were identified.
• AIR patients generally showed thinner retinal sublayers than controls.
• A significant subset (41.4%) displayed paradoxical outer plexiform layer (OPL) thickening, indicating two distinct OCT phenotypes.
• No correlation was found between retinal sublayer thickness and specific anti-retinal antibodies.

Conclusions:

• The observed OCT phenotypes in AIR may offer insights into the disease's underlying processes.
• OCT findings could potentially aid in the clinical diagnosis of autoimmune retinopathy.
• The precise role of anti-retinal antibodies in AIR pathogenesis requires further investigation.