Quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography of vascular abnormalities in the living human eye

TLDR

Retinal vascular diseases cause significant blindness, and while OCT is the standard for fluid imaging, fluorescein angiography remains necessary for detecting ischemia and choroidal neovascularization, yet it has limited depth resolution and penetration. The study proposes using OCT angiography as a noninvasive 3‑D alternative for routine screening and monitoring to enhance clinical diagnosis and management.

Abstract

Significance Retinal vascular diseases are a leading cause of blindness. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become the standard imaging modality for evaluating fluid accumulation in these diseases and for guiding treatment. However, fluorescein angiography (FA) is still required for initial evaluation of retinal ischemia and choroidal neovascularization, which are not visible in conventional structural OCT. The limitations of FA include poor penetration of fluorescence through blood and pigment, inability to determine the depth of the pathology due to its two-dimensional nature, and some uncommon but potentially severe complications. As a noninvasive three-dimensional alternative, OCT angiography may be used in routine screening and monitoring to provide new information for clinical diagnosis and management.