Jane S. Myung

Detection of retinal changes in Parkinson's disease with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Purpose This pilot study investigated whether high-resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) could detect differences in inner retinal layer (IRL), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and macular thickness between patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and controls. Methods Both eyes of patients with PD and age-matched controls were imaged with the Heidelberg Spectralis® HRA + OCT. RNFL, IRL, and macular thickness were measured for each eye using Heidelberg software. These measurements were compared with validated, published normal values for macular and RNFL thickness, and compared with matched controls for IRL thickness. Results Eighteen eyes from nine subjects with PD and 19 eyes of 16 control subjects were evaluated using SD-OCT. The average age of PD patients was 64 years with a range of 52–75 years. The average age of controls was 67 years with a range of 50–81 years. No significant reduction in IRL thickness was detected between PD patients and age-matched controls at 13 points along a 6 mm horizontal section through the fovea. No significant difference in RNFL thickness was detected between PD patients and published normal values. Overall average RNFL thickness was 97 μm for PD patients, which exactly matched the normative database value. However, significant differences in macular thickness were detected in three of nine subfields between PD subjects and published normal values. In PD subjects, the outer superior subfield was 2.8% thinner (P = 0.026), while the outer nasal and inner inferior subfields were 2.8% (P = 0.016) and 2.7% (P = 0.001) thicker compared to published normal values. Conclusion In this pilot study, significant differences in macular thickness were detected in three of nine subfields by SD-OCT. However, SD-OCT did not detect significant reductions in peripapillary RNFL and IRL thickness between PD patients and controls. This suggests that macular thickness measurements by SD-OCT may potentially be used as an objective, noninvasive, and easily quantifiable in vivo biomarker in PD. Larger, longitudinal studies are needed to explore these relationships further.

Accuracy of retinopathy of prematurity image-based diagnosis by pediatric ophthalmology fellows: Implications for training

PURPOSE To measure the accuracy of image-based retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) diagnosis by pediatric ophthalmology fellows. METHODS This was a comparative case series of expert versus nonexpert clinicians in image-based ROP diagnosis. An atlas of 804 retinal images was captured from 248 eyes of 67 premature infants with a wide-angle camera (RetCam-II, Clarity Medical Systems, Pleasanton, CA). Images were uploaded to a study website from which an expert pediatric retinal specialist and five pediatric ophthalmology fellows independently provided a diagnosis (no ROP, mild ROP, type 2 ROP, or treatment-requiring ROP) for each eye. Two different retinal specialists experienced in ROP examination served as additional controls. Primary outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity of image-based ROP diagnosis by fellows compared to a reference standard of image-based interpretation by the expert pediatric retinal specialist. Secondary outcome measure was intraphysician reliability. RESULTS For detection of mild or worse ROP, the mean (range) sensitivity among the five fellows was 0.850 (0.670-0.962) and specificity was 0.919 (0.832-0.964). For detection of type 2 or worse ROP by fellows, mean (range) sensitivity was 0.527 (0.356-0.709) and specificity was 0.938 (0.777-1.000). For detection of treatment-requiring ROP, mean (range) sensitivity was 0.515 (0.267-0.765) and specificity was 0.949 (0.805-1.00). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric ophthalmology fellows in this study demonstrated high diagnostic specificity in image-based ROP diagnosis; however, sensitivity was lower, particularly for clinically significant disease.

Treatment of noninfectious posterior uveitis with dexamethasone intravitreal implant

Purpose To report our experience with dexamethasone 0.7 mg sustained-release intravitreal implant (Ozurdex®; Allergan, Inc, Irvine, CA) in noninfectious posterior uveitis. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients with noninfectious uveitis treated with sustained-release dexamethasone 0.7 mg intravitreal implant was performed. Complete ophthalmic examination including signs of inflammatory activity, visual acuity, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and tolerability of the implant were assessed. Results Six eyes of 4 consecutive patients treated with a total of 8 dexamethasone 0.7 mg sustained-release intravitreal implants for posterior noninfectious uveitis were included. Two patients presented with unilateral idiopathic posterior uveitis; 2 patients had bilateral posterior uveitis, one secondary to sarcoidosis and the other to Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. All eyes showed clinical and angiographic evidence of decreased inflammation following implant placement. Mean follow-up time post-injection was 5.25 months. Four eyes received 1 and 2 eyes received 2 Ozurdex implants during the follow-up period. The duration of effect of the implant was 3 to 4 months. No serious ocular or systemic adverse events were noted during the follow-up period. Conclusions In patients with noninfectious posterior uveitis, sustained-release dexamethasone 0.7 mg intravitreal implant may be an effective treatment option for controlling intraocular inflammation.

Evaluation of Vascular Disease Progression in Retinopathy of Prematurity Using Static and Dynamic Retinal Images

PURPOSE To measure accuracy and speed for detection of vascular progression in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) from serial images. Two strategies are compared: static side-by-side presentation and dynamic flickering of superimposed image pairs. DESIGN Prospective comparative study. METHODS Fifteen de-identified, wide-angle retinal image pairs were taken from infants who eventually developed plus disease. Image pairs representing vascular disease progression were taken ≥1 week apart, and control images without progression were taken on the same day. Dynamic flickering pairs were created by digital image registration. Ten experts independently reviewed each image pair on a secure website using both strategies, and were asked to identify progression or state that images were identical. Accuracy and speed were measured, using examination date and ophthalmoscopic findings as a reference standard. RESULTS Using static images, experts were accurate in a mean (%) ± standard deviation (SD) of 11.4 of 15 (76%) ± 1.7 image pairs. Using dynamic flickering images, experts were accurate in a mean (%) ± SD of 11.3 of 15 (75%) ± 1.7 image pairs. There was no significant difference in accuracy between these strategies (P = .420). Diagnostic speed was faster using dynamic flickering (24.7 ± 8.3 seconds) vs static side-by-side images (40.3 ± 18.3 seconds) (P = .002). Experts reported higher confidence when interpreting dynamic flickering images (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Retinal imaging provides objective documentation of vascular appearance, with potentially improved ability to recognize ROP progression compared to standard ophthalmoscopy. Speed of identifying vascular progression was faster by review of dynamic flickering image pairs than by static side-by-side images, although there was no difference in accuracy.

Three-Dimensional Reconstruction and Analysis of Vitreomacular Traction: Quantification of Cyst Volume and Vitreoretinal Interface Area

Author Affiliations: LuEsther T. Mertz Retinal Research Center, Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital and Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York (Drs Vance and Freund), Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Medical Center (Dr Wald), and Department of Optometry, State University of New York College of Optometry (Dr Sherman), New York. Correspondence: Dr Freund, Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, 460 Park Ave, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10022 (kbfnyf@aol.com). Financial Disclosure: None reported. Funding/Support: This study was supported by the Macula Foundation, Inc, New York, New York.

Volumetric three-dimensional reconstruction and segmentation of spectral-domain OCT.

Despite advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT), three-dimensional (3D) renderings of OCT images remain limited to scanning consecutive two-dimensional (2D) OCT slices. The authors describe a method of reconstructing 2D OCT data for 3D retinal analysis and visualization in a Computer Assisted Virtual Environment (CAVE). Using customized signal processing software, raw data from 2D slice-based spectral-domain OCT images were rendered into high-resolution 3D images for segmentation and quantification analysis. Reconstructed OCT images were projected onto a four-walled space and viewed through stereoscopic glasses, resulting in a virtual reality perception of the retina. These 3D retinal renderings offer a novel method for segmentation and isolation of volumetric images. The ability to manipulate the images in a virtual reality environment allows visualization of complex spatial relationships that may aid our understanding of retinal pathology. More importantly, these 3D retinal renderings can be viewed, manipulated, and analyzed on traditional 2D monitors independent of the CAVE.