Optic nerve head perfusion in normal eyes and eyes with glaucoma using optical coherence tomography-based microangiography

Abstract

Background: To investigate the differences of perfusion in the optic nerve head (ONH) between normal and glaucomatous eyes using optical microangiography (OMAG) based optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography technique.Methods: One eye from each subject was scanned with a 68 kHz Cirrus 5000 HD-OCT-based OMAG prototype system centered at the ONH (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc, Dublin, CA, USA). Microvascular images were generated from the OMAG dataset by detecting the differences in OCT signal between consecutive B-scans. The pre-laminar layer (preLC) was isolated by a semi-automatic segmentation program. En face OMAG images for preLC were generated using signals with highest blood flow signal intensity. ONH Results: Twenty normal and 21 glaucoma subjects were enrolled. Glaucomatous eyes had significantly lower ONH perfusion in preLC in all three perfusion metrics compared to normal eyes (P≤0.0003).Significant correlations between ONH perfusion and disease severity as well as structural changes were detected in glaucomatous eyes (P≤0.012).Conclusions: ONH perfusion detected by OMAG showed significant differences between glaucoma and normal controls and was significantly correlated with disease severity and structural defects in glaucomatous eyes. ONH perfusion measurement using OMAG may provide useful information for detection and monitoring of glaucoma.

Optical coherence tomography angiography monitors human cutaneous wound healing over time

“…The angiogenic vessels visualized here also appeared brighter than their surrounding counterparts (Figure 4). Studies have shown that the OMAG signal is proportional to the flux of red blood cells passing through the vessels (70,71).…”

Quantitative assessment of the retinal microvasculature using optical coherence tomography angiography

“…12 Consequently, OMAG is being established as a valuable tool for the investigation of ocular diseases both qualitatively 13 and quantitatively. 14 To objectively assess the OCT angiograms, a number of studies have introduced vessel area density (VAD), 15,16 vessel skeleton density (VSD), 15,17 and nonperfusion area. 16 These parameters have been reported useful in the analyses of disease progression in DR and AMD.…”

Robust principal component analysis in optical micro-angiography

“…Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a threedimensional (3D) imaging technique that can provide noninvasive, high-resolution cross-sectional images in real time (4,5). As a high-resolution functional extension to OCT, OCT-angiography (OCTA) (6)(7)(8) offers rapid, safe, non-invasive and cost-effective solution to imaging depthresolved microcirculation down to capillary level, which has recently found its way to clinical translation, for example in ophthalmology (9)(10)(11). Optical micro-angiography (OMAG) is introduced based on the observations of complex signal fluctuations, which are hypothesized to be related to moving erythrocytes within functional blood vessels (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”