Abstract
Purpose :
Palisades of Vogt (POV) is an important structure where limbal stem cells reside. This study tested the hypothesis that spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) could be used to observe the epithelial morphology of the POV in normal and diseased limbus, and provide information regarding the role of aging, anatomic region and disease pattern.
Methods :
One hundred and sixty eyes of 160 healthy subjects were studied and divided into 4 age groups: A (0-19), B (20-39), C (40-59), and D (≥60 years old). Twenty diseased eyes with vernal keratoconjunctvitis (VKC), Steven-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) were included for comparison. RTvue-100 OCT was applied to detect the limbal epithelial thickness (ET) and the morphology of the subepithelial stroma underneath the epithelium of POV.
Results :
The percentage of morphologically healthy POV in superior, nasal, temporal, and inferior regions of the limbus showed a significant decrease with age: Group A: 100%, 70%, 65.4%, 100%; Group B: 100%, 72.5%, 60%, 95%; Group C: 95%, 42.5%, 37.5%, 85%; Group D: 67.5%, 0%, 5%, 25%. The maximum ET of POV in the four regions also showed age-dependent change: Group A: 102.5±10.2 μm, 89.5±9.8 μm, 87.5±13.5 μm, 105.0±14.0 μm; Group B: 111.5±15.8 μm, 85.3±10.0 μm, 88.3±8.5 μm, 112.7±19.8 μm; Group C: 116.5±16.5 μm, 82.8±11.6 μm, 87.0±11.6 μm, 120.0±25.6 μm; Group D: 96.5±18.0 μm, 73.8±16.0 μm, 79.2±16.8 μm, 87.5±18.5 μm. In diseased eyes, ET of POV increased in limbal form of VKC (p<0.01) and decreased significantly in SJS and OCP. All diseased limbus showed disrupted morphology in the limbal stroma.
Conclusions :
Spectral-domain OCT is a useful tool to observe the limbal microstructure. The ET of POV was thicker in the superior and inferior quadrants. Aging and anatomic regions had significant effects on the microstructure in these areas. Diseased limbus may exhibit significant changes in the ET and structure of POV.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.