Three-dimensional imaging of the foveal photoreceptor layer in central serous chorioretinopathy using high-speed optical coherence tomography.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the 3-dimensional (3-D) imaging of the pathologic changes in the foveal photoreceptor layer in eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) using high-speed optical coherence tomography (OCT).


METHODS
Prospective observational case series.


METHODS
Twenty-seven eyes of 27 consecutive patients with various stages of CSC.


METHODS
A prototype high-speed OCT system was fabricated for patient examinations based on Fourier domain OCT. The system had a sensitivity of 98 dB, a tissue axial resolution of 4.3 mum, and an acquisition rate of approximately 18700 axial scans per second. Three-dimensional imaging was performed based on a raster-scan protocol.


METHODS
Anatomic features of CSC distinguished by 3-D OCT.


RESULTS
A line corresponding to backreflection from the external limiting membrane (ELM) was visible in images from eyes with all stages of CSC, including 6 in the acute, 5 in the chronic, and 9 in the recurrent phase of retinal detachment and 11 examined in the quiescent phase (including 4 reexamined after reattachment). Backreflection from the photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS) was missing before but present after reattachment. The ELM line bordered the photoreceptor nuclear and inner segment layers, clearly showing that CSC primarily alters the outer segment (OS) layer. Punctate areas of intense reflectivity were observed more frequently in the OS layer of detached retinas in cases of chronic or recurrent versus acute CSC (P<0.05, chi-square test). Of 11 eyes with reattached macula, 3 eyes with large defects in the subfoveal IS/OS had poor visual acuity (VA), and 8 eyes with small or no defects had good VA (P<0.05 and P<0.001, chi-square test). Decreases in foveal full and outer thickness were associated with VA loss (P<0.05 and P<0.001, Spearman rank correlation test).


CONCLUSIONS
Three-dimensional OCT imaging delineates the microstructural changes that occur within the photoreceptor layers and demonstrates the spatial relationship between the laterally spreading or scattering microstructures and the fovea in eyes with CSC. Visualization of the 3-D relationship between the ELM and each photoreceptor layer before and after macular reattachment facilitates understanding of anatomic and vision changes that result from CSC.
Ojima
Yumiko
Y
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Hangai
Masanori
M
Sasahara
Manabu
M
Gotoh
Norimoto
N
Inoue
Ryo
R
Yasuno
Yoshiaki
Y
Makita
Shuichi
S
Yatagai
Toyohiko
T
Tsujikawa
Akitaka
A
Yoshimura
Nagahisa
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity