Abstract
Purpose :
Recently developed multi-contrast Jones-matrix optical coherence tomography (JM-OCT) has enabled multi-contrast three-dimensional (3-D) observation of posterior eye. A single scan of JM-OCT provides scattering OCT, birefringence tomography, degree-of-polarization-uniformity (DOPU) tomography, and OCT angiography (OCT-A). Among them, the birefringence tomography is new and its clinical utility is not yet well investigated. Here, we discuss the birefringence and DOPU properties of exudative macular degeneration.
Methods :
Six eyes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 8 eyes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were examined by a custom-made JM-OCT with a 1-μm probe. The transversal scanning area was 4.5 mm × 4.5 mm or 6 mm × 6 mm and a volumetric scanning time is 6.6s. A single scan provides the multiple tomographies listed above. The volumetric scattering OCT, birefringence, and DOPU were observed by an operator (YY). At first, retinal deposit, choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and hyper-scattering beneath retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) were identified in scattering OCT. The same location of the birefringence and DOPU tomographies were then observed.
Results :
Retinal deposit were found in all 6 eyes of PCV. For all eyes, the deposits were appeared with high birefringence and low DOPU (Fig. a-c, white arrows). Deposits were also found in 4 of 8 AMD eyes. Similar to PCV cases, all the 4 eyes showed high birefringence, but only 3 of 4 eyes showed low DOPU. CNV were found above RPE in 4 of 6 PCV eyes. All the 4 eyes showed moderate to high birefringence and high DOPU at the CNV (Fig. a-c, yellow arrows). CNV-above-RPE were found in 6 of 8 AMD eyes. Unlike PCV cases, the CNV showed low birefringence in 3 eyes and high to moderately high in 3 eyes. In contrast, the DOPU was high for 5 of the 6 eyes. An exceptional case with high birefringence and low DOPU is shown in Fig. d-f. Hyper scattering was found beneath RPE detachment in 4 of 6 PCV eyes. It was appeared with low birefringence and high DOPU in 3 of 4 eyes (Fig. g-i, arrows), it may be because this hyper scattering is abnormal vasculature.
Conclusions :
Clinical features, such as CNV, in OCT can be further classified by JM-OCT. In addition, JM-OCT also provides OCT-A. And hence, JM-OCT can potentially be a comprehensive diagnostic tool of macular degenerations.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.