En face spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for corneal dystrophies

Abstract

 

Purpose

 

To evaluate the usefulness of en face spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for the analysis of corneal dystrophies.

 

Methods

 

Thirty-five eyes of 20 patients with various corneal dystrophies (epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, Salzmann nodular degeneration, Reis-Bucklers corneal dystrophy, corneal macular dystrophy, Groenouw type 1 corneal dystrophy, crocodile shagreen dystrophy and Fuchs endothelial dystrophy) were included in the present study. All subjects underwent detailed ophthalmic examination, were photographed and were then evaluated using en face anterior segment SD- OCT.

 

Results

 

En face anterior segment SD-OCT provided additional information to conventional cross-sectional OCT imaging, allowing the description of the size, depth, shape, and location of corneal lesions in various corneal dystrophies. En face OCT Images were well correlated with previously reported conventional B-scans OCT, in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and histopathologic findings. This new technique was capable of identifying corneal microstructural changes related to corneal dystrophies in patients, with no corneal contact. The C-scan images provided for instance clear visualization of subepithelial multilaminar, linear, and curvilinear hyperreflective lines in epithelial basement membrane dystrophy. Despite a lower resolution than IVCM, en face SD-OCT appeared to be a non-invasive and reproducible tool that allowed the analysis of larger corneal areas.

 

Conclusions

 

En face SD-OCT is an innovative technique that provides non invasively interesting features in corneal dystrophies. It will probably become an important imaging device for the assessment of these anterior segment conditions.

 

 

En face OCT features of various corneal dystrophies A: Epithelial basement membrane dystrophy B: Fuchs corneal dystrophy C: Groenouw type 1 corneal dystrophy D: Reiss-Bucklers corneal dystrophy

 

Keywords: 552 imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)