gms | German Medical Science

21st Annual Meeting of the German Retina Society and 8th Symposium of the International Society of Ocular Trauma (ISOT)

German Retina Society
International Society of Ocular Trauma

19.06. - 22.06.2008, Würzburg

High resolution Spectral Domain-OCT imaging in late atrophic AMD

Meeting Abstract

  • Monika Fleckenstein - Bonn/Germany
  • P. Charbel Issa - Bonn/Germany
  • H.-M. Helb - Bonn/Germany
  • S. Schmitz-Valckenberg - Bonn/Germany
  • F.G. Holz - Bonn/Germany

Retinologische Gesellschaft. International Society of Ocular Trauma. 21. Jahrestagung der Retinologischen Gesellschaft gemeinsam mit dem 8. Symposium der International Society of Ocular Trauma. Würzburg, 19.-22.06.2008. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2008. DocISOTRG2008V101

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/rg2008/08rg102.shtml

Published: June 18, 2008

© 2008 Fleckenstein et al.
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Outline

Text

Background: To describe morphological variations in outer retinal layers in eyes with atrophic AMD using high-resolution, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Methods: SD-OCT scans were obtained by combined confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and SD-OCT imaging. A total of 81 eyes of 56 patients (mean age 77.8 ± 7.4) with geographic atrophy (GA) were examined. Morphological alterations were analyzed in the perilesional zone, at the border of GA and in the atrophic area.

Results: In the perilesional zone, distinct morphological alterations included elevations of the outer retinal layers, thickening and spikes of the outer hyperreflective band as well as clumps at different neurosensory retinal levels. At the border of GA, highly variable transitions of the outer retinal layers were present with different degrees of loss of the normal hyperreflective bands. Within the actual GA, hyperreflective clumps at different retinal levels, segmented plaques of the outer band and elevations with variable reflectivity were visualized.

Conclusions: SD-OCT imaging in eyes with GA reveals a wide spectrum of morphological alterations both in the surrounding retinal tissue and in the atrophic area. These alterations may reflect different disease stages or, alternatively, heterogeneity on a cellular and molecular level. Longitudinal studies using in vivo SD-OCT imaging may allow to evaluate the relevance of these phenotypic changes as potential predictive markers for the progression of disease, and may be used for monitoring of future therapeutic interventions.