Abstract
Purpose :
To analyze the appearance of outer retinal hyperreflective bands using high axial resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) images in healthy subjects using a research OCT prototype (High-Res OCT, Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) with 3 µm optical resolution.
Methods :
Healthy subjects undergoing routine ocular evaluation were scheduled for High-Res OCT imaging. Highly averaged scans centered in the fovea were taken. The a-scans at different macular zones (foveal, parafoveal, perifoveal and peripapillary) were used to evaluate outer retinal hyperreflective bands.
Results :
One-hundred and thirty eyes of 69 patients were included (mean age 51.5 (range: 19-91). A clear delineation of the outer retinal bands was seen in the foveal and parafoveal area: external limiting membrane, photoreceptors ellipsoid and interdigitation zones (EZ and IZ). The retinal pigment epithelium appeared separated from Bruch’s membrane in the majority of cases (84%). In the perifoveal, but most frequently in the peripapillary area, an additional hyperreflective band between the IZ and the RPE was observed; this feature was observed along all age groups.
Conclusions :
High-Res OCT images provides a detailed representation of outer retinal structures with additional information not seen with commercially available OCT devices. A meticulous analysis with histologic correlation would be beneficial for a better understanding of the High-Res OCT scans.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.