High-Resolution Imaging of Retinal Vasculitis by Flood Illumination Adaptive Optics Ophthalmoscopy: A Follow-up Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To monitor perivascular sheathing during the course of retinal vasculitis by flood illumination adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy (AOO).

Methods: Perivenous sheathing and venous diameters were quantitatively analyzed by semi-automatic segmentation of AOO images in 12 eyes of treatment-naive patients with retinal vasculitis.

Results: The width of venous sheathing ranged from 45 to 225 µm (mean 101.0 µm ± 54.3). In 10 cases, the underlying vein showed focal narrowing (mean ± SD 14% ± 10). Focal narrowing of arteries was also present in one eye. At presentation, width of sheathing and vessel diameters were not correlated with fluorescein leakage. During follow-up, 5 eyes showed an increase in vein diameter or resolution of narrowing and in 10 eyes a thinning of vascular sheathing was observed (p= .003).

Conclusions: Perivenous sheathing may be quantitatively analyzed and monitored by AOO. AOO may therefore contribute to monitor vascular sheathing during posterior uveitis.

Keywords:

• adaptive optics
• posterior uveitis
• retina
• uveitis
• retinal vasculitis

Declaration of interest

Professor Michel Paques is consultant for Imagine Eyes.

Additional information

Funding

Supported by the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Contrat d’Interface 2011) and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-09-TECS-009 and ANR-12-TECS-0015-03). The funding organizations had no role in the design or conduct of this research.