Using optical coherence tomography for the morphologic evaluation of the posterior vitreous and retinal surface

Ophthalmic Photographer's Society, Fukui, Katsuhiko ; Hanada, Kazuomi ; Igarashi, Hiromasa ; Yoshida, Akitoshi, The Journal of ophthalmic photography, 30(2), pp.82-87, 2008. publisherOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is a technique that obtains cross-sectional images of tissue via a near-infrared, law-coherence light beam. The OCT constructs images by measuring the intensity and temporal delay of light reflected from the individual retinal layers and allows noninvasive evaluation of diseases affecting the posterior vitreous and retinal surface. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the usefulness of OCT in the morphologic assessment of such diseases. Using OCT, even a slight change in the refractive index can be visualized as a structural change. In addition, OCT can provide images of transparent structures such as the posterior vitreous body. In diseases affecting the posterior vitreous and retinal surface such as preretinal membranes, macular holes, and vitreomacular traction, the anatomic positional relationship between the posterior vitreous membrane and the macula is relevant