Retinal structure of birds of prey revealed by ultra-high resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
OBJECTIVE
To reveal three-dimensional (3-D) information about the retinal structures of birds of prey in vivo.


METHODS
An ultra-high resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system was built for in vivo imaging of retinas of birds of prey. The calibrated imaging depth and axial resolution of the system were 3.1 mm and 2.8 μm (in tissue), respectively. 3-D segmentation was performed for calculation of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) map.


RESULTS
High-resolution OCT images were obtained of the retinas of four species of birds of prey: two diurnal hawks (Buteo platypterus and Buteo brachyurus) and two nocturnal owls (Bubo virginianus and Strix varia). These images showed the detailed retinal anatomy, including the retinal layers and the structure of the deep and shallow foveae. The calculated thickness map showed the RNFL distribution. Traumatic injury to one bird's retina was also successfully imaged.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultra-high resolution SD-OCT provides unprecedented high-quality 2-D and 3-D in vivo visualization of the retinal structures of birds of prey. SD-OCT is a powerful imaging tool for vision research in birds of prey.
Ruggeri
Marco
M
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Major
James C
JC
McKeown
Craig
C
Knighton
Robert W
RW
Puliafito
Carmen A
CA
Jiao
Shuliang
S
D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D000818:Animals; D046428:Hawks / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D020305:Strigiformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence