Correlation of high-definition optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography imaging in neovascular macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To correlate the morphologic characteristics of choroidal neovascular lesions (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using raster scanning high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) and conventional fluorescein angiography (FA). METHODS: In this comparative clinical study, 37 consecutive patients with classic, minimally classic, or occult CNV; 13 patients with early AMD; and 10 age-matched healthy individuals were included. HD-OCT imaging (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan) and FA (scanning retinal ophthalmoscope; HRA2; Heidelberg Engineering, Dossenheim, Germany) were performed after a complete standardized ophthalmic examination. Only one eye of each patient was included in the study. A point-to-point correlation between HD-OCT and FA images was performed. Early and late FA images at defined locations were correlated with OCT measurements, including 3D maps, 2D single scans, a thickness linear graph, and the 3D retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) segmentation. RESULTS: With HD-OCT imaging used to delineate the lesion morphology, early AMD was detected as having a normal foveal contour and minimal alteration in the macular area; classic CNV as a well-defined lesion with steep margins and a craterlike configuration, occult CNV as an ill-defined, flat lesion with a convex surface; and minimally classic CNV as having classic and occult components. FA-OCT overlay images provided a significant correlation between FA patterns and OCT features such as retinal thickness (RT). CONCLUSIONS: 3D-OCT provided realistic anatomic maps of the retina, RPE, and RT in patients with AMD. Discrimination between the predominant CNV lesion types was achieved, and their precise shape was identified, together with information about the lesion's localization and leakage activity.