Interpretation of OCT and OCTA images from a histological approach: Clinical and experimental implications.
Por:
Cuenca N, Ortuño-Lizarán I, Sánchez-Sáez X, Kutsyr O, Albertos-Arranz H, Fernández-Sánchez L, Martínez-Gil N, Noailles A, López-Garrido JA, López-Gálvez M, Lax P, Maneu V and Pinilla I
Publicada:
1 jul 2020
Ahead of Print:
3 ene 2020
Resumen:
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) have been a technological breakthrough in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of many retinal diseases, thanks to its resolution and its ability to inform of the retinal state in seconds, which gives relevant information about retinal degeneration. In this review, we present an immunohistochemical description of the human and mice retina and we correlate it with the OCT bands in health and pathological conditions. Here, we propose an interpretation of the four outer hyperreflective OCT bands with a correspondence to retinal histology: the first and innermost band as the external limiting membrane (ELM), the second band as the cone ellipsoid zone (EZ), the third band as the outer segment tips phagocytosed by the pigment epithelium (PhaZ), and the fourth band as the mitochondria in the basal portion of the RPE (RPEmitZ). The integrity of these bands would reflect the health of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium. Moreover, we describe how the vascular plexuses vary in different regions of the healthy human and mice retina, using OCTA and immunohistochemistry. In humans, four, three, two or one plexuses can be observed depending on the distance from the fovea. Also, specific structures such as vascular loops in the intermediate capillary plexus, or spider-like structures of interconnected capillaries in the deep capillary plexus are found. In mice, three vascular plexuses occupy the whole retina, except in the most peripheral retina where only two plexuses are found. These morphological issues should be considered when assessing a pathology, as some retinal diseases are associated with structural changes in blood vessels. Therefore, the analysis of OCT bands and OCTA vascular plexuses may be complementary for the diagnosis and prognosis of retinal degenerative processes, useful to assess therapeutic approaches, and it is usually correlated to visual acuity.
Filiaciones:
:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Institute Ramón Margalef, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain. Electronic address:
Ortuño-Lizarán I:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Sánchez-Sáez X:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Kutsyr O:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Albertos-Arranz H:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Fernández-Sánchez L:
Department of Optics, Pharmacology and Anatomy, University of Alicante, Spain
Martínez-Gil N:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Noailles A:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
López-Garrido JA:
Department of Ophthalmology, Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital, Bilbao, Spain
López-Gálvez M:
Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, IOBA, Valladolid, Spain
:
Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
Maneu V:
Department of Optics, Pharmacology and Anatomy, University of Alicante, Spain
Pinilla I:
Department of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa, University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
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