scholarly journals Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of Retinal Microvascular Changes Overlying Choroidal Nodules in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 214-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Cassiman ◽  
Ingele Casteels ◽  
Peter Stalmans ◽  
Eric Legius ◽  
Julie Jacob

Purpose: To report 3 cases of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) with choroidal nodules associated with retinal microvascular changes imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: Small case series in 3 NF1 patients. OCTA examinations were performed by a trained examiner (J.J.) after pupillary dilation. A standard scan, centered over the macula measuring 6 × 6 mm and 3 × 3 mm was obtained according to the findings on standard color photography. Additional scans were obtained in the zones with microvascular abnormalities. The segmentation provided by the machine software was used. Results: Corkscrew retinal vessels were observed in association with “placoid”-type choroidal nodules as shown by near-infrared reflectance imaging. In all cases, multiple lesions were found. They were second- or third-order tortuous vessels originating from the superior or inferior temporal veins. OCTA demonstrated that the tortuous venules were located in the superficial capillary plexus, and no abnormalities were found in the deep capillary plexus. Discussion: Corkscrew retinal vessels are part of a spectrum of retinal microvascular alterations seen in association, sometimes overlying choroidal nodules in patients with NF1 and are visualized in the superficial capillary plexus on OCTA. We demonstrated with OCTA that they are not associated with flow loss or ischemia in the superficial and deep capillary plexus. The link between the underlying nodule remains unclear. Since neovascularization was described in choroidal ganglioneuroma, we hypothesize that corresponding secretory substances from Schwann cells, ganglion cells, or melanocytes in choroidal nodules might alter the retinal vasculature. Conclusion: We report on 3 cases of NF1 with choroidal nodules in association with retinal microvascular changes imaged with OCTA. OCTA demonstrated preservation of the blood flow in the deep and superficial capillary plexus of the retina. We hypothesize that angiogenic factors secreted by the underlying choroidal nodules could have an effect on the retinal vasculature. Further immunohistological studies in NF1 patients with choroidal nodules to detect angiogenic factors (such as VEGF) are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.

2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110307
Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Moreno-Morillo ◽  
José Ignacio Fernández-Vigo ◽  
Bárbara Burgos-Blasco ◽  
Carlos Llorente-La Orden ◽  
Beatriz Vidal-Villegas ◽  
...  

Purpose: To describe optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings in the retina and choroid of patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Methods: We describe a series of four patients diagnosed with NF1 and choroidal nodules who underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation including a retinal multimodal imaging study based on retinography, near-infrared reflectance imaging (NIR), enhanced depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCTA. Results: Patients were three women and one man aged 36–47 years. In all patients, the choroidal nodules were not visible in retinographies but easily detectable with NIR, appearing as multiple bright patches. On OCTA, we observed reduced vessel density in the choriocapillaris in zones where choroidal nodules appeared in OCT images. In one patient, a corkscrew vessel was visible in the superficial capillary plexus. Conclusion: Choriocapillaris vessel density was reduced in zones where choroidal nodules occur in NF1 patients. Further work is needed to clarify the clinical relevance of this finding.


2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110640
Author(s):  
Hafize Gokben Ulutas ◽  
Metin Guclu ◽  
Mehmet Emin Aslanci ◽  
Gokhan Karatas

Purpose The aim of this study was to detect early retinal vascular changes with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients without diabetic retinopathy and to evaluate the correlation of the results with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Design This is a case–control and cross-sectional study. Methods This study included 38 adult patients with T1DM, and 38 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Retinal and optic disc (OD) measurements were taken using OCTA. The carotid artery IMT of each patient was measured using Doppler ultrasonography. Superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) vessel density, foveal avascular zone (FAZ), non-flow area (NFA) and foveal density (FD) were analysed in the fovea centred 6 × 6 mm macular area. The superficial capillary plexus and DCP were also scanned centred on the peripapillary region. The correlations between OCTA measurements and carotid IMT, duration of DM and haemoglobin A1c levels in patients with T1DM were evaluated. Results The mean values for carotid IMT were significantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls ( p < 0.001). The mean values for vessel density SCP, DCP and OD were significantly lower in the diabetic group ( p < 0.05). There were correlations between the carotid IMT and duration of T1DM and the evaluated parameters of OCTA. Conclusion Microvascular changes in the SCP and DCP in patients with T1DM without DR offer important data. OCTA can be used to detect early microvascular changes in patients with T1DM without DR. In addition, a relationship was found between SCP vascular dropout and carotid IMT.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1418-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Furino ◽  
Grazia Montrone ◽  
Maria Vittoria Cicinelli ◽  
Stefania Balestra ◽  
Maria Oliva Grassi ◽  
...  

Purpose: To investigate a subset of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy with optical coherence tomography angiography, assessing the differences in macular perfusion between diseased eyes and healthy controls. Methods: Monocentric cross-sectional study, including 86 eyes from 43 diabetic patients with no clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy and 78 eyes from 39 controls. Patients underwent 3.0 × 3.0 mm and 4.5 × 4.5 mm swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography. Vessel density (%), foveal avascular zone area (mm2), and avascular density (%) were provided for the superficial capillary plexus and the deep capillary plexus. Results: The foveal avascular zone area at the superficial capillary plexus was larger in the study group compared to controls, irrespective of the area of the slab considered. A meaningful difference was found in the vessel density at the deep capillary plexus of the 3.0 × 3.0 mm slab (p = 0.03). Almost all the variables considered in the study showed a significant within-subject effect. Age significantly correlated with vessel density of superficial capillary plexus on 4.5 × 4.5 mm in both control and diabetic eyes. Conclusion: Diabetic patients with subclinical diabetic retinopathy feature a larger foveal avascular zone at the superficial capillary plexus compared with controls, as well as relative reduction of the vessel density at the deep capillary plexus. These findings might serve as the basis for screening between normal and diabetic subjects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo Mastropasqua ◽  
Rossella D’Aloisio ◽  
Pasquale Viggiano ◽  
Enrico Borrelli ◽  
Carla Iafigliola ◽  
...  

(1) Background: The aim of this observational cross-sectional work was to investigate early retinal vascular changes in patients undergoing idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) surgery using swept source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA); (2) Methods: 24 eyes of 24 patients who underwent vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling were evaluated pre- and postoperatively using SS-OCTA system (PLEX Elite 9000, Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA, USA). For each eye, five 6x6-mm OCTA volume scans were acquired by two observers independently. The en face images of superficial capillary plexus (SCP) were then exported to imageJ and a semi-automated algorithm was used for subsequent quantitative analysis. Perfusion density (PD), vessel length density (VLD), vessel diameter index (VDI) and vessel tortuosity (VT) of SCP were evaluated in both the parafoveal (2.5 mm diameter) and perifoveal areas (5.5 mm diameter); (3) Results: At OCTA analysis statistically significant differences were found between controls and diseased eyes for all parameters in parafoveal and perifoveal regions (p < 0.001; p < 0.05) except for perifoveal VLD. During 6-month follow up, both anatomical/perfusion and functional parameters showed a statistically significant improvement if compared to preoperative values. In detail, at one-month post vitrectomy, VLD and VT significantly changed in parafoveal region (p = 0.043; p = 0.045), while PD and VDI showed a trend of increase in both parafoveal and perifoveal region. At 6 months after surgery, PD, VLD and VT of parafoveal region significantly improved (p = 0.021, p = 0.018, p = 0.047 respectively). (4) Conclusions: SS-OCTA provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the superficial capillary plexus allowing for early vascular changes assessment after vitrectomy with iERM and ILM peeling.


Retina ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solmaz Abdolrahimzadeh ◽  
Lorenzo Felli ◽  
Andrea Maria Plateroti ◽  
Andrea Perdicchi ◽  
Maria Teresa Contestabile ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248433
Author(s):  
Ji Hye Lee ◽  
Young Gun Park

Purpose We aimed to evaluate microvascular changes on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) who underwent silicone oil (SO) tamponade and compare changes according to macular involvement. Methods This retrospective study included 48 patients with unilateral RRD who underwent vitrectomy and SO tamponade and were stable after SO removal. Control data were obtained from the fellow healthy eye. Ophthalmic examinations, including best corrective visual acuity (BCVA) and OCTA, were conducted. Differences in vascular density (VD) in different sections of the macula and differences in the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) were analyzed between the affected eyes and control eyes. Subgroup analyses according to macular involvement were performed. Results Baseline BCVA and duration of SO tamponade were associated with postoperative BCVA (p<0.001, p = 0.03, respectively). The average VD in the deep capillary plexus (DCP) and the VD of the nasal parafoveal area in both the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and the DCP decreased relative to those in the control eyes (p = 0.026, p = 0.028, and p = 0.031, respectively). The FAZ area in the DCP and in the SCP also increased when compared with that in the controls (p = 0.043, p = 0.002, respectively). In addition, the macular-off RRD group had lower VD in the nasal parafoveal area of the DCP than the macular-on RRD group. Conclusion SO tamponade could cause microvascular changes, especially in the nasal parafoveal area. The macular-off RRD group were affected more than the macular-on RRD group.


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