Noninvasive detection of microaneurysms in diabetic retinopathy by swept-source optical coherence tomography

• Published in: Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) Vol. 10; pp. 1791 - 1795
• Main Authors: Leng, Theodore, Cheng, Sarah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Diabetes; Diabetic retinopathy; Diabetics; Edema; Human subjects; Medical imaging; Ophthalmology; optical coherence tomography; Original Research; Retina; Swept source optical coherence tomography; Tomography; United States > US; swept-source optical coherence tomography; diabetic retinopathy; optical coherence tomography
• ISSN: 1177-5483; 1177-5467; 1177-5483
• DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S115016

A method of identifying retinal vascular microaneurysms (MAs) in nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). SS-OCT images were acquired in 17 eyes with NPDR using prototype SS-OCT device and fluorescein angiography (FA) images were obtained simultaneously. MAs identified on SS-OCT slabs were correlated to MAs identified on FA. MAs were identified in SS-OCT slabs in 15/17 eyes, resulting in NPDR diagnosis rate of 88%. Mean number of MAs identified on FA was 11.7±11.9 (total 199) and was 8.1±9.3 (total 137) on SS-OCT. Wilcoxon rank sum test showed no significant difference in MAs detected on SS-OCT and FA ( =0.2995) across eyes. Wilcoxon rank sum test showed SS-OCT detected slightly fewer MAs than FA per eye (3.65 less, =0.0009). SS-OCT visualization of MAs could serve as a tool for diagnosing NPDR, and possibly applied as an imaging biomarker for population-based diabetic retinopathy screening.