title: OCT Angiography-Based Detection and Quantification of the Neovascular Network in Exudative AMD.
abstract: To investigate the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography to detect and quantify the neovascular network in exudative AMD.
  
  
  
  Treatment-naïve eyes that were diagnosed with exudative AMD were prospectively examined by OCT angiography (OCT-A). The extent of the neovascular network was measured by three independent readers. Interclass-correlation coefficient and area overlap coefficients (OC) were calculated to assess locally precise agreement between measurements. As a reference for interreader agreement, the extent of the neovascular network was further measured on fluorescein angiography (FA) images.
  
  
  
  A total of 31 eyes (27 patients, mean age 82.5 years, 15 female) were included in the study. Neovascularization subtype was classified as type I in 5, type II in 11, type III in 9, and mixed in 6 eyes, respectively. Interreader agreement for measurements of the neovascular network was 0.884 for OCT-A and 0.636 for FA. Overlap coefficient was 0.705 (interquartile [IQR]: 0.450-0.76) for OCT-A and 0.704 (IQR: 0.673-0.750) for FA, respectively. Area agreement was weaker in type III and mixed lesions.
  
  
  
  Optical coherence tomography angiography-based measurements of the new vessel complex in neovascular AMD are feasible with interreader agreement comparable with the values obtained for FA. The results underscore the potential of OCT-A as a noninvasive diagnostic tool in neovascular AMD. Yet, further studies will be required to reveal the origin of poor agreement observed in single eyes and to advance OCT-A toward dependable use (e.g., in a reading center context).
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Domdei
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pfau
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Tim U
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Krohne
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitz-Valckenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Holz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleckenstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012372:ROC Curve; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*