Ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography in non-exudative age related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the appearance of the non-exudative forms of age related macular degeneration (AMD) as imaged by ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT).


METHODS
A UHR-OCT ophthalmic imaging system, which utilises a femtosecond laser light source capable of approximately 3 mum axial resolution, was employed to obtain retinal cross sectional images of patients with non-exudative AMD. Observational studies of the resulting retinal images were performed.


RESULTS
52 eyes of 42 patients with the clinical diagnosis of non-exudative AMD were imaged using the UHR-OCT system. 47 of the 52 (90%) eyes had the clinical diagnosis of drusen and/or retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) changes. In these patients, three patterns of drusen were apparent on UHR-OCT: (1) distinct RPE excrescences, (2) a saw toothed pattern of the RPE, and (3) nodular drusen. On UHR-OCT, three eyes (6%) with a clinical diagnosis of non-exudative AMD had evidence of fluid under the retina or RPE. Two of these three patients had findings suspicious for subclinical choroidal neovascularisation on UHR-OCT.


CONCLUSIONS
With the increased resolution of UHR-OCT compared to standard OCT, the involvement of the outer retinal layers are more clearly defined. UHR-OCT may allow for the detection of early exudative changes not visible clinically or by angiography.
Pieroni
C G
CG
New England Eye Center, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Tufts University, 750 Washington Street, Box 450, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Witkin
A J
AJ
Ko
T H
TH
Fujimoto
J G
JG
Chan
A
A
Schuman
J S
JS
Ishikawa
H
H
Reichel
E
E
Duker
J S
JS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015594:Optic Disk Drusen / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*