OBJECTIVE: To assess central and peripheral retinal and choroidal diseases using ultra-widefield (UWF) fundus imaging in combination with navigated central and peripheral cross-sectional and three-dimensional (3D) swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) scans.
METHODS: Retrospective study involving 332 consecutive patients, with a nearly equal distribution of males and females. The mean age of patients was 52 years (range 18-92 years). Average refractive error was -3.80 D (range +7.75 to -20.75 D).
RESULTS: The observations in this study demonstrate the efficacy of peripheral navigated SS-OCT in assessing various ocular conditions. The technology provides high-quality images of the peripheral vitreous, vitreoretinal interface, retina, and choroid, enabling visualization of vitreous floaters and opacities, retinal holes and tears, pigmented lesions, and peripheral retinal degenerations. 3D OCT scans enhance the visualization of these abnormalities and improve diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.
CONCLUSIONS: Navigated central and peripheral cross-sectional and 3D SS-OCT scans offer significant complementary benefits in the assessment and management of retinal diseases. Their addition to UWF imaging provides a comprehensive view of central and peripheral ocular structures, aiding in early detection, precise anatomical measurements, and objective monitoring of disease progression. In addition, this technology serves as a valuable tool for patient education, a teaching tool for trainees, and documentation for medico-legal purposes.

The use of OCT to monitor intravitreal treatment varies in clinical practice and is not always mandatory. The ALBATROS data collection aimed to clarify the impact of routinely implemented OCT on clinical outcomes and its impact on vision-related quality of life (VRQoL).
METHODS: An observational cohort study included patients with retinal diseases starting an intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in Germany. Treatment followed clinical practice except mandatory OCT examination during the 12-month observation period. VRQoL was assessed by NEI VFQ-25 and compared with respect to OCT examinations and number of intravitreal injections in the different diseases (nAMD, DME, BRVO, CRVO).
RESULTS: 1478 patients (74.5 ± 10.9 years, 54.9% female) were included in the analysis. Patients had neovascular AMD (65.2%), DME (18.4%), BRVO (9.5%), or CRVO (6.9%). 8.8 ± 2.6 OCT examinations and 6.1 ± 3.2 intravitreal injections were performed within 12 months. VRQoL differed between indications at baseline, with substantially lower values for neovascular AMD and CRVO. After twelve months, an increase in visual acuity and visual functional scale was observed for nAMD, DME, and BRVO, while in DME only, there was an association between number of OCT examinations and VRQoL.
CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal treatment was able to maintain VRQoL over twelve months in a real-world setting. Regular OCT examinations were associated with higher gain in VRQoL in DME patients after 12 months.

BACKGROUND: Retinal vein occlusion, subdivided into central retinal and branch retinal vein occlusion, is one of the most frequent vascular diseases of the retina. Biomarkers of optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT-angiography and (ultra-widefield) fluorescein angiography are of exceptional importance in the initial diagnosis and also in the treatment of complications associated with retinal vascular occlusion, particularly macular edema.
METHODS: A systematic literature review was carried out in PubMed with the keywords central retinal vein occlusion, branch retinal vein occlusion, biomarker, OCT, OCT angiography, ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography with prioritization of the most important aspects.
RESULTS: Relevant biomarkers in OCT include central retinal thickness (CRT), macular fluid, the integrity of the photoreceptor bands (external limiting membrane and ellipsoid zone), disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL), hyperreflective foci, choroidal thickness and signs of ischemia, such as a prominent middle limiting membrane (p-MLM), paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) as well as hyperreflectivity of inner retinal layers (HIRL). The importance of OCT-angiography lies particularly in the assessment of microvascular alterations, especially vessel density in the deep retinal vascular plexus, the foveal avascular zone and of areas with no capillary perfusion. Biomarkers of ultra-widefield angiography, such as peripheral ischemia (ischemic index) and neovascularízation are essential with respect to treatment decisions for retinal laser.
CONCLUSIONS: A multitude of simple and complex biomarkers currently enable an effective individualized evaluation of treatment and prognosis in retinal vein occlusion. A shift from invasive to noninvasive biomarkers can be observed.
UNASSIGNED: HINTERGRUND: Retinale Venenverschlüsse, subsumiert in Zentralvenen- und Venenastverschluss, gehören zu den häufigsten vaskulären Erkrankungen der Netzhaut. Sowohl bei Erstdiagnose als auch in der Therapie verschlussassoziierter Komplikationen, v. a. des Makulaödems, sind Biomarker der optischen Kohärenztomographie (OCT), OCT-Angiographie und (Ultraweitwinkel‑)Fluoreszeinangiographie von herausragender Bedeutung.
METHODS: Es erfolgte eine systematische Literaturrecherche auf pubmed.gov mit den Keywords „central retinal vein occlusion“, „branch retinal vein occlusion“, „biomarker“, „OCT“, „OCT angiography“, „ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography“ mit Priorisierung der wichtigsten Aspekte zur Umfangsreduktion.
UNASSIGNED: Als relevante Biomarker konnten in der OCT Makuladicke („central retinal thickness“ [CRT]), makuläre Flüssigkeit, die Integrität der Photorezeptorbande (Membrana limitans externa [ELM] und „ellipsoid zone“ [EZ]), „disorganization of retinal inner layers“ (DRIL), hyperreflektive Foci, Aderhautdicke sowie Ischämiezeichen wie „prominent middle limiting membrane“ (p-MLM), die „paracentral acute middle maculopathy“ (PAMM) sowie „hyperreflectivity of inner retinal layers“ (HIRL) identifiziert werden. Der Stellenwert der OCT-Angiographie liegt v. a. in der Beurteilung mikrovaskulärer Veränderungen, insbesondere der „vessel density“ im tiefen retinalen Gefäßplexus, der fovealen avaskulären Zone und von Arealen ohne Kapillarperfusion. Bezüglich der Therapieentscheidung zum Netzhautlaser sind Biomarker der Ultraweitwinkelangiographie wie periphere Ischämien („ischemic index“) sowie Neovaskularisationen essenziell.
UNASSIGNED: Eine Vielzahl simplerer und komplexer Biomarker ermöglicht heute eine effektive individualisierte Therapie- und Prognoseeinschätzung beim retinalen Venenverschluss. Eine Verschiebung von invasiven zu nichtinvasiven Biomarkern wird beobachtet.

(1) Background: we aimed to evaluate choroidal vascularity change in eyes with central and branch retinal vein occlusion (RVO). (2) Methods: in this retrospective cross-sectional study, we reviewed the records of 47 patients with recent-onset, naïve, unilateral retinal vein occlusion. Enhanced-depth imaging optical coherence tomography scans were binarized using the ImageJ software; luminal area (LA) and total choroidal area (TCA) were measured. The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was calculated as the proportion of LA to TCA. Depending on the pattern of macular oedema, eyes were classified as having no macular oedema (nME), cystoid macular oedema (CME), cystoid macular oedema with serous retinal detachment (mixed). (3) Results: CVI, TCA and LA were greater in eyes with RVO than in fellow, unaffected eyes. No difference was found between central and branch RVO except for central macular thickness (CMT). When compared with controls, eyes with CME presented a significant increase in subfoveal choroidal thickness, CMT, TCA, LA and CVI; eyes with mixed macular oedema had greater CMT and CVI than contralateral eyes; no significant differences in any of the considered parameters were observed in eyes with nME. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that RVO alters the vascularity of the choroid that varies according to the type of macular oedema.