title: Longitudinal analysis of reticular drusen associated with age-related macular degeneration using combined confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate longitudinal variations of reticular drusen (RDR) in age-related macular degeneration using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO), near-infrared reflectance (NIR) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen eyes of 12 patients with RDR (median observational time 5 months, range 3-10) were included. Changes over time in the en face cSLO NIR images, the identical SD-OCT B scan (simple approach) and the dense SD-OCT volume scans (11 µm between B scans, detailed approach) for 5 preselected RDR lesions were analysed, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen of 90 (21%) lesions were no longer detectable at the follow-up examination with the simple SD-OCT approach (increase 7/decrease 48/unchanged 15/not gradable 1). By contrast, no disappearance of single lesions was noted for both cSLO (3/8/61/18) and detailed SD-OCT image analysis (67/22/1/0). Within the dense SD-OCT volume scan, a median change of individual lesion height of 10 µm/year was determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate a recordable progression of RDR lesions in lateral and vertical dimensions. Using dense SD-OCT volume scans, individual RDR lesion progression can be quantified and may be applied in future longitudinal studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Jasmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Auge
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleckenstein
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Holz
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitz-Valckenberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D057092:Geographic Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000175:diagnosis*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence