Variation in rod and cone density from the fovea to the mid-periphery in healthy human retinas using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

• Published in: Eye (London) Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 1135 - 1143
• Main Authors: Wells-Gray, E M, Choi, S S, Bries, A, Doble, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.08.2016; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14; 14/19; 631/443; 692/698; Adult; Axial Length, Eye - anatomy & histology; Cell Count; Fovea Centralis - anatomy & histology; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Laboratory Medicine; Laboratory Study; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Ophthalmology; Ophthalmoscopy - methods; Pharmaceutical Sciences/Technology; Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells - cytology; Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells - cytology; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0950-222X; 1476-5454
• DOI: 10.1038/eye.2016.107

Purpose To characterize the rod and cone photoreceptor mosaic at retinal locations spanning the central 60° in vivo using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AO-SLO) in healthy human eyes. Methods AO-SLO images (0.7 × 0.9°) were acquired at 680 nm from 14 locations from 30° nasal retina (NR) to 30° temporal retina (TR) in 5 subjects. Registered averaged images were used to measure rod and cone density and spacing within 60 × 60  μ m regions of interest. Voronoi analysis was performed to examine packing geometry at all locations. Results Average peak cone density near the fovea was 164 000±24 000 cones/mm 2 and decreased to 6700±1500 and 5400±700 cones/mm 2 at 30° NR and 30° TR, respectively. Cone-to-cone spacing increased from 2.7±0.2  μ m at the fovea to 14.6±1.4  μ m at 30° NR and 16.3±0.7  μ m at 30° TR. Rod density peaked at 25° NR (124 000±20 000 rods/mm 2 ) and 20° TR (120 000±12 000 rods/mm 2 ) and decreased at higher eccentricities. Center-to-center rod spacing was lowest nasally at 25° (2.1±0.1  μ m). Temporally, rod spacing was lowest at 20° (2.2±0.1  μ m) before increasing to 2.3±0.1  μ m at 30° TR. Conclusions Both rod and cone densities showed good agreement with histology and prior AO-SLO studies. The results demonstrate the ability to image at higher retinal eccentricities than reported previously. This has clinical importance in diseases that initially affect the peripheral retina such as retinitis pigmentosa.