Optical Coherence Tomography in CHRRPE and MRS Eyes

During AAO 2019, two posters pertaining to the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) were discussed.

The first poster, “Filigree Vascular Pattern in Combined Hamartoma of Retina and RPE on OCT-A,” assessed the vascular structure comprising combination retina hamartoma and retinal pigment epithelium (CHRRPE) lesions using OCT angiography (OCT-A). The study included 20 eyes diagnosed with CHRRPE, which underwent color fundus photographs, OCT, and OCT-A. The primary outcome measure was the density of flow signals’ “filigree” vascular pattern via OCT-A analyzed at deep capillary plexus graded as high (> 20), intermediate (10-20), or low (< 10). The most common location was peripapillary (n = 11), followed by macular (n = 8); one was located at the equatorial. Of the peripapillary CHRRPE lesions with full-thickness retinal involvement, 10 presented a high density of filigree vascular pattern. Most of the macular lesions with partial-thickness retinal involvement and preretinal fibrosis (n = 7/8) exhibited a low density of filigree pattern.

The second poster presented data from a retrospective study that examined the use of ultrawide-field OCT (UWF-OCT), which offers high-resolution images of posterior fundi, in posterior vitreous in myopic macular retinoschisis (MRS) patients. Data were available on 150 highly myopic eyes. Twelve radial scans of UWF-OCT identified posterior vitreous. Researchers compared the vitreal tractions onto the fovea and retinal vessels in eyes with and without MRS. Overall, 33% of eyes (n = 49/150) presented MRS. Compared to those without MRS, eyes with MRS were more likely to have complicated staphyloma (P = 0.04) and vitreal adhesion onto retinal vessels (P = 0.04). Adhesion onto the fovea did not largely differ between the two groups. The authors concluded that foveal adhesion may not be as significant for MRS development than pathological vitreal adhesion.