Utility of Optical Coherence Tomographic Angiography in Neuro-Ophthalmic Practice

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Near-infrared optical coherence tomography (OCT) is crucial for neuro-ophthalmic practice.
• Advances in OCT, specifically OCT angiography (OCTA), enable precise 3D microvascular mapping.
• This review explores OCTA's role in neuro-ophthalmic and neurologic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of OCTA in neuro-ophthalmic and neurologic conditions.
• To highlight current applications and identify areas for future progress.
• To discuss the integration of OCTA into clinical neuro-ophthalmic practice.

Main Methods:

• PubMed searches were conducted to gather relevant evidence.
• The review synthesizes findings on OCTA's qualitative and quantitative assessments.
• Focus is placed on OCTA's application in various disease contexts.

Main Results:

• OCTA assesses microvasculature in the optic nerve head and retina.
• Pathologic conditions often show reduced vascular density on OCTA, with overlapping patterns.
• OCTA is applicable to neurologic conditions with normal-appearing discs, though comparative studies are limited.

Conclusions:

• OCTA holds significant diagnostic and prognostic potential in neuro-ophthalmology.
• Future research should focus on longitudinal studies of OCTA biomarkers.
• Comparative analyses and functional correlations will enhance OCTA's clinical utility.