PubMed ID: 22805095
Author(s): McLellan GJ, Rasmussen CA. Optical coherence tomography for the evaluation of retinal and optic nerve morphology in animal subjects: practical considerations. Vet Ophthalmol. 2012 Sep;15 Suppl 2:13-28. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01045.x. Epub 2012 Jul 16. Review. PMID 22805095
Journal: Veterinary Ophthalmology, Volume 15 Suppl 2, Issue Suppl 2, Sep 2012
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, noncontact imaging technique capable of producing high-resolution images of the retina and optic nerve. These images provide information that is useful for following the progression and/or resolution of posterior segment disease. Rapid advances in OCT technology allow the acquisition of increasingly detailed images, approaching the original goal of providing in vivo histopathology. Increases in scan acquisition speeds and axial resolution enhance the clinical diagnostic value of this modality. Adapting instrumentation designed for use in human patients for use in animals can be challenging. Each species has a unique set of adjustments that need to be made but it is possible to obtain reproducible, high-quality OCT images in a variety of animals, including rodents, dogs, cats, pigs, and monkeys. Deriving quantitative measurements from OCT instruments is hindered by software algorithm errors in detecting the edges of the distinct retinal layers. These segmentation errors occur in scans of human eyes as well in other species and arise with similar frequency with each of the different OCT instruments. Manual segmentation methods to derive optic nerve head and other structural indices have been developed for several species.
© 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.