title: En face swept-source optical coherence tomography detecting thinning of inner retinal layers as an indicator of capillary nonperfusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report en face swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) as a noninvasive detection modality for regions of retinal layer thinning that are potential indicators of retinal nonperfusion areas (NPAs) in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one eyes of 46 patients with BRVO showing a definite retinal NPA larger than 1 disc in diameter within the vascular arcades were included in this study. We calculated the overlapping correspondence ratio between presumed NPA, which appeared as a dark area in en face SS-OCT, and definite NPA in corresponding fluorescein angiography (FA) images. The correlation between brightness in en face SS-OCT images and corresponding ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness determined by SD-OCT GCC maps was evaluated as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measured NPA size in FA and presumed NPA size in en face SS-OCT showed strong correlation (r = 0.746, p&lt;0.001) and colocalization. Reliable agreement between the 2 methods was confirmed by size comparisons (p = 0.11), with an overlapping correspondence ratio of 0.73.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that en face SS-OCT is a noninvasive and relatively reliable method for delineating retinal thinning as an indicator of NPAs in eyes with BRVO. Because SS-OCT can be performed without mydriasis, this procedure may be an option for evaluating NPAs on a screening basis and during follow-up to reduce the number of FA examinations that carry very rare, but potentially fatal, allergic side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Shinshu University, Matsumoto - Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toriyama
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iesato
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*