Three-dimensional analysis of macular diseases with a scanning retinal thickness analyzer and a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope.
OBJECTIVE
To compare three-dimensional analysis of macular diseases obtained using the scanning retinal thickness analyzer (RTA) with that obtained using the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope, Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT).


METHODS
Both the RTA and the HRT were used to examine 50 eyes of 36 patients with diabetic macular edema, macular edema following branch retinal vein occlusion, age-related macular degeneration, and idiopathic macular holes.


RESULTS
In most macular diseases, the retinal thickness map constructed using the RTA agreed with the image obtained with the HRT. The two maps were not consistent with each other, however, in patients with dense retinal hemorrhages and with extrafoveal fixation.


CONCLUSIONS
Although both the RTA and the HRT give additional information to clinically evaluate macular diseases, they do have limitations. The discrepancy between these two analyses in some specific macular pathologies might be caused by the different wavelengths of the laser beam and the different methodologies used to scan the retina.
Konno
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical College, Japan. skonno@asahihawa-med.ac.jp
Takeda
M
M
Yanagiya
N
N
Akiba
J
J
Yoshida
A
A
D000368:Aged; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000473:pathology; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000473:pathology