En face OCT angiography demonstrates flow in early type 3 neovascularization (retinal angiomatous proliferation)

Eye (Lond). 2015 May;29(5):703-6. doi: 10.1038/eye.2015.27. Epub 2015 Mar 6.

Abstract

Introduction: The characteristics of type 3 neovascularization (NV), also known as retinal angiomatous proliferation, have been well described clinically, as well as with fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT angiography (OCT-A) is a novel and non-invasive technique for imaging retinal microvasculature by detecting changes, with respect to time, in reflectivity related to blood flow.

Method: In this case series, we describe two patients who presented with type 3 NV and underwent clinical examination and multimodal imaging, including OCT-A.

Results: In the first patient, OCT-A demonstrated flow within two separate lesions in the same eye, one of which was only weakly detected by FA. In the second patient, sequential OCT-A demonstrated a reduction in intralesional flow following intravitreal therapy.

Conclusions: OCT-A may have a role in the early diagnosis of type 3 NV and in assessing the response to treatment. Further studies are needed to determine sensitivity and specificity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Bevacizumab / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography*
  • Humans
  • Intravitreal Injections
  • Ranibizumab / therapeutic use
  • Regional Blood Flow / physiology
  • Retinal Neovascularization / diagnosis
  • Retinal Neovascularization / drug therapy
  • Retinal Neovascularization / physiopathology*
  • Retinal Vessels / physiology*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Bevacizumab
  • Ranibizumab