Spectral-Domain and Swept-Source OCT Angiographic Scans Yield Similar Drusen Measurements When Processed with the...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss.
• Accurate measurement of drusen, a hallmark of AMD, is crucial for monitoring disease progression.
• Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) is a key imaging modality for visualizing and quantifying retinal structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an algorithm developed for SS-OCTA in measuring drusen area and volume using SD-OCTA scans.
• To determine the efficacy of a single algorithm across different OCTA technologies for drusen quantification.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzed 40 pairs of SD-OCTA and SS-OCTA scans from 27 eyes with intermediate AMD.
• An existing algorithm was applied to both SD-OCTA and SS-OCTA datasets to measure drusen area and volume within 3 mm and 5 mm fovea-centered circles.
• Paired t-tests and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to compare measurements between the two OCTA types.

Main Results:

• Strong correlations (coefficients > 0.97) were observed between SS-OCTA and SD-OCTA measurements for both drusen area and volume.
• While statistically significant differences in measurements were found (P < 0.001), they were small.
• The algorithm demonstrated high consistency across both imaging modalities.

Conclusions:

• The algorithm developed for SS-OCTA performs reliably on SD-OCTA scans for drusen area and volume assessment.
• A dedicated SD-OCT structural scan is not required for obtaining accurate drusen measurements when using this algorithm.
• This finding simplifies the workflow for AMD monitoring and research.