Anterior segment optical coherence tomography: its application in clinical practice and experimental models of disease

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides non‐invasive, high‐resolution in vivo imaging of the ocular surface and anterior segment. Over the years, it has become an essential tool for evaluating the anterior segment of the eye to monitor ocular development and ocular pathologies in both the clinical and research fields of ophthalmology and optometry. In this review, the clinical applications relating to the use of anterior segment OCT for imaging and quantifying normal and pathological features of the ocular surface, cornea, anterior chamber, and aqueous outflow system are summarised in a range of human ocular diseases. Applications of anterior segment OCT technology that have improved imaging and quantitation of ocular inflammation in experimental animal models of ocular diseases, such as anterior uveitis, microbial keratitis and glaucoma, are also described. The capacity to longitudinally evaluate anterior segment anatomical changes during development, and inflammation facilitates the understanding of the dynamics of tissue responses, and further enhances the intra‐operative in vivo imaging during procedures, such as corneal transplantation and drug delivery. Future developments including in vivo ultrahigh‐resolution anterior segment OCT, automated analyses of anterior segment OCT images and functional extensions of the technique, may revolutionise the clinical evaluation of anterior segment, corneal and ocular surface diseases.

Key words:

• anterior segment
• cornea
• imaging
• inflammation
• optical coherence tomography

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We acknowledge the Florey Advanced Microscopy Facility at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health Facility for provision of instrumentation, training and general support. We acknowledge Jing (Janet) Yee Choi for her contribution to the histology and cell counts and we would like to thank Richard Lindsay for supplying the OCT images for Figure 1. This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grants APP1042612 and APP1126540. The sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

Additional information

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council