Measuring Inflammation in the Vitreous and Retina: A Narrative Review

ABSTRACT

Uveitis consists of a group of syndromes characterised by intraocular inflammation, accounting for up to 15% of visual loss in the western world and 10% worldwide. Assessment of intraocular inflammation has been limited to clinician-dependent, subjective grading. Developments in imaging technology, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), have enabled the development of objective, quantitative measures of inflammatory activity. Important quantitative metrics including central macular thickness and vitreous signal intensity allow longitudinal monitoring of disease activity and can be used in conjunction with other imaging modalities enabling holistic assessment of ocular inflammation. Ongoing work into the validation of instrument-based measures alongside development of core outcome sets is crucial for standardisation of clinical trial endpoints and developing guidance for quantitative multi-modal imaging approaches. This review outlines methods of grading inflammation in the vitreous and retina, with a focus on the use of OCT as an objective measure of disease activity.

KEYWORDS:

• Imaging
• inflammation
• ocular
• ophthalmology
• optical coherence tomography
• uveitis

Disclosure statement

VL: AbbVie (G, C), UCB (C), Alimera (C), Allergan (C).

Additional information

Funding

Dr Keane is supported by a Moorfields Eye Charity Career Development Award (R190028A) and a UK Research & Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/T019050/1).V.Llorenç & A.Serrano funding from AbbVie Inc., Lake Bluff, Illinois, USA; grant number IIS 11329 (SA-000805); Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria (FIS) del Instituto de Salud Carlos III & FEDER funds ”Otra Manera de Hacer Europa”, Spain, EU, grant number PI17/00316; OFTARED, Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS RD12/0034/0005), and Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR 2017-20).