Abstract
Purpose :
To quantify the prevalence and distribution of hyperreflective dots in macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel 2) using high-resolution optical coherence tomography (high-res OCT)
Methods :
Eyes with MacTel 2 of grade 0-2 (ellipsoide zone loss central/non central without pigmentary changes) were included in this study. Multimodal imaging was performed including high-res OCT with an axial resolution of up to 3µm. Hyperreflective dots in the outer nuclear layer were quantified within the foveal center (subdivided in nasal and temporal) and the four segments of the inner ETDRS ring.
Results :
23 eyes of 17 patients with MacTel 2 were imaged using a multimodal imaging approach. The highest concentration and prevalence of hyperreflective dots was in the temporal area of the central ETDRS circle (67 versus 59 in the nasal area) followed by the temporal area of the inner ETDRS ring (60).
Conclusions :
High-Res OCT reveals hyperreflective dots as structural details within the outer nuclear layer not described before. The origin of these dots is hypothesized to be from retinal cell degeneration from photoreceptor cells and/or Müller cells. Early hints towards cell degeneration might be helpful for understanding the disease mechanism in MacTel 2.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Imaging in the Eye Conference, held in Seattle, WA, May 4, 2024.