COMBINING EN FACE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY WITH STRUCTURAL OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND BLOOD FLOW ANALYSIS FOR DETECTING CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULAR COMPLEXES IN PIGMENT EPITHELIAL DETACHMENTS

Abstract

PURPOSE: This work aimed to describe the morphology of pigment epithelial detachment (PED) using optical coherence tomography angiography and to investigate its potential to detect choroidal neovascularization in various types of PEDs.

METHODS: In this retrospective study, 53 patients diagnosed with PED after undergoing both optical coherence tomography angiography (AngioPlex, CIRRUS HD-OCT) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis SD-OCT) were included.

RESULTS: Among the 53 eyes, flat vascularized PED (vPED) affected 21 eyes (40%), peaked vPED affected 10 eyes (19%), serous PED affected 12 eyes (23%), drusenoid PED affected 6 eyes (11%), and 4 eyes (7%) had multiple PED subtypes. The main underlying etiologies were pachychoroid spectrum disorder (30.2%), wet age-related macular degeneration (28.3%), central serous chorioretinopathy (18.9%), dry age-related macular degeneration (11.3%), and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (11.3%). Optical coherence tomography angiography identified neovascularization in 29 (94%) of the vPED eyes, 2 (17%) of the serous PED eyes, and all 4 (100%) mixed PED eyes.

CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography angiography successfully identified neovascularization in both vPEDs and PEDs previously considered to be nonneovascular. However, structural OCT and blood flow analysis should be combined to interpret PED-associated neovascularization accurately in the clinic.