Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Ophthalmology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2024 | Viewed by 7171

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Zentrum für Seltene Netzhauterkrankungen, AugenZentrum Siegburg, MVZ Augenärztliches Diagnostik- und Therapiecentrum Siegburg GmbH, Siegburg, Germany
2. RetinaScience, Bonn, Germany
Interests: retinal imaging; OCT; optical coherence tomography; FAF; fundus autofluorescence; NIA; near-infrared fundus autofluorescence; IRD; inherited retinal dystrophies; ocular genetics, exogene induced retinal disorders; eye diseases; vision science; eyes; retinal diseases; macular degeneration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ophthalmic imaging technology is a key technical means in ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment, and plays an important role in measuring field of view, corneal curvature, observing fundus structure, and monitoring ophthalmic surgery. Among them, the introduction and development of imaging technologies such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography, fundus fluorescein angiography, fundus and near-infrared autofluorescence, wide-field retinal imaging, high-light and confocal microscopy, corneal topography and ocular ultrasound have greatly improved the morphological and functional assessment of ocular structures. In ophthalmology, OCT represents the best technology for imaging retinal structures so far. This technology is currently used in the examination, diagnosis, and follow-up of glaucoma and macular diseases, as well as other eye diseases.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive, high-resolution biomedical optical imaging technology that can detect the internal microstructure of biological tissues in vivo. It shows unique technical advantages in ophthalmology applications, and has been widely used clinically as a non-invasive and high-resolution detection technology in ophthalmology. Combined with multi-modal imaging of OCT and other imaging technologies (fluorescence technology, photoacoustic imaging technology, elastic measurement technology, etc.), more comprehensive optical characteristics of the eye diagnosis site can be obtained so as to analyze the structure, function characteristics, and early diagnosis of ocular lesions. Example applications include the combination of OCT and fluorescence technology to detect age-related fundus lesions; combined OCT and photoacoustic tomography to detect the scattering and absorption characteristics of fundus tissue; and optical coherence tomography elastic measurement technology to detect the elastic properties and lesions of cornea and fundus, etc.

Imaging technology has displayed ocular anatomical structures and pathological changes in multiple directions and levels, expanded eye examination and diagnosis methods, and has gradually become an important means of ophthalmic examination.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present clinical and intraoperative applications of ophthalmic imaging, recent advances, and potential future developments.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • OCT applications in various retinal and choroidal disorders;
  • OCT angiography (OCTA);
  • Fundus autofluorescence (FAF);
  • Near-infrared autofluorescence (NIA);
  • Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA);
  • Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA);
  • Ultrasonographic techniques;
  • CT examination technology;
  • MRI examination techniques;
  • Macular degeneration;
  • Retinal diseases;
  • Cataract surgery;
  • Glaucoma.

You are welcome to submit excellent manuscripts regarding all kinds of imaging techniques improving the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kellner
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ophthalmic imaging
  • optical coherence tomography (OCT)
  • retinal diseases
  • macular degeneration
  • glaucoma imaging
  • eye diseases
  • clinical ophthalmology

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4138 KiB  
Article
Severe Macular Ischemia Is Associated with a Poor Visual Prognosis and Serious Complications in Eyes with Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
by Ryo Kurobe, Yoshio Hirano, Takaaki Yuguchi, Norihiro Suzuki and Tsutomu Yasukawa
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(21), 6710; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12216710 - 24 Oct 2023
Viewed by 796
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing post-treatment visual acuity (VA) in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) with macular edema (ME). Methods: The subjects of this study were patients who visited our clinic from May 2013 to July 2019 [...] Read more.
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing post-treatment visual acuity (VA) in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) with macular edema (ME). Methods: The subjects of this study were patients who visited our clinic from May 2013 to July 2019 and who could be followed up with for at least 12 months. Cases with hemi CRVO were excluded from this study. Factors considered in the evaluation of visual prognosis at the 12 months included initial best-corrected VA, central subfoveal thickness, CRVO subtype (nonischemic, ischemic, or converted from nonischemic to ischemic), time taken for the first treatment, number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent injections, structural changes in the inner and outer retinal layers, and the presence of macular ischemia in a multiple regression analysis. Results: There were 41 patients with 41 eyes, 27 males and 14 females. The mean age of the patients was 70.5 ± 12.2 (mean ± standard deviation) years. The mean VA was 0.544 ± 0.576, 0.456 ± 0.568, and 0.586 ± 0.665 at the initial visit, 12 months later, and time of last observation, respectively. There were no significant differences in VAs observed between the baseline, month 12, and final visit. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the external limiting membrane score at month 12 (p = 0.030), the VA at initial visit (p < 0.001), and the presence of severe macular ischemia (p < 0.001) were the key factors associated with VA at month 12. Moreover, severe macular ischemia was identified as the only factor affecting decimal VA less than 20/200 at the last observation (p = 0.0092). Conclusions: Severe macular ischemia is strongly linked to a poor visual prognosis in patients with ME associated with CRVO. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
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11 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
The Differences in the Pattern of OCT and OCTA Examinations between Early Normal- and High-Tension Pseudoexfoliative Glaucoma
by Urszula Łukasik, Dominika Wróbel-Dudzińska, Jaromir Jarecki, Karolina Gasińska, Tomasz Żarnowski, Anna Święch and Ewa Kosior-Jarecka
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(15), 4899; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12154899 - 26 Jul 2023
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Abstract
Purpose. The aim of this study was to compare the results of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) in comparison to high-tension pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (HTG) patients at the early stage of glaucoma. [...] Read more.
Purpose. The aim of this study was to compare the results of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) in comparison to high-tension pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (HTG) patients at the early stage of glaucoma. Material and methods. The studied groups consisted of patients in the early stage of NTG (70 eyes) and the early stage of HTG (71 eyes). In NTG and HTG groups, a detailed ophthalmic examination was performed. Optic disc OCT with peripapillary RNFL measurements and OCTA examination with the evaluation of the macula and optic disc were performed for all participants using Zeiss Cirrus 5000. Results. NTG and HTG groups were statistically similar as far as the MD was concerned, and both groups had early glaucoma. When evaluating the RNFL thickness, the only statistical difference between early NTG and HTG was observed in the thicknesses in the temporal sector of peripapillary RNFL, with thinner values in the NTG group (53.94 vs. 59.94, p = 0.0071). When the OCTA results of the macula and optic disc were evaluated, there were no statistical differences between early NTG and HTG. Conclusions. The vascular density and flow parameters assessed in OCTA were equal between early NTG and HTG, and therefore the involvement of vascular factors in NTG pathogenesis could not be confirmed. Our results confirm the preponderance of more frequent temporal RNFL involvement in early NTG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
18 pages, 1092 KiB  
Article
A Global Review of Publicly Available Datasets Containing Fundus Images: Characteristics, Barriers to Access, Usability, and Generalizability
by Tomasz Krzywicki, Piotr Brona, Agnieszka M. Zbrzezny and Andrzej E. Grzybowski
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(10), 3587; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12103587 - 21 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2179
Abstract
This article provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the repositories that contain color fundus images. We analyzed them regarding availability and legality, presented the datasets’ characteristics, and identified labeled and unlabeled image sets. This study aimed to complete all publicly available color [...] Read more.
This article provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the repositories that contain color fundus images. We analyzed them regarding availability and legality, presented the datasets’ characteristics, and identified labeled and unlabeled image sets. This study aimed to complete all publicly available color fundus image datasets to create a central catalog of available color fundus image datasets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
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11 pages, 1937 KiB  
Article
Optical-Quality Assessment of a Miniaturized Intraocular Telescope
by Irene Nepita, Raffaele Raimondi, Simonluca Piazza, Alberto Diaspro, Faustino Vidal-Aroca, Salvatore Surdo and Mario R. Romano
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(10), 3375; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12103375 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1675
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes severe vision impairments, including blindness. An option to improve vision in AMD patients is through intraocular lenses and optics. Among others, implantable miniaturized telescopes, which direct light to healthy lateral regions of the retina, can be highly effective [...] Read more.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes severe vision impairments, including blindness. An option to improve vision in AMD patients is through intraocular lenses and optics. Among others, implantable miniaturized telescopes, which direct light to healthy lateral regions of the retina, can be highly effective in improving vision in AMD patients. Yet, the quality of the restored vision might be sensitive to the optical transmission and aberrations of the telescope. To shed light on these points, we studied the in vitro optical performance of an implantable miniaturized telescope, namely, the SING IMT™ (Samsara Vision Ltd., Far Hills, NJ, USA) designed to improve vision in patients affected by late-stage AMD. Specifically, we measured the optical transmission in the spectral range 350–750 nm of the implantable telescope with a fiber-optic spectrometer. Wavefront aberrations were studied by measuring the wavefront of a laser beam after passing through the telescope and expanding the measured wavefront into a Zernike polynomial basis. Wavefront concavity indicated that the SING IMT™ behaves as a diverging lens with a focal length of −111 mm. The device exhibited even optical transmission in the whole visible spectrum and effective curvature suitable for retinal images magnification with negligible geometrical aberrations. Optical spectrometry and in vitro wavefront analysis provide evidence supporting the feasibility of miniaturized telescopes as high-quality optical elements and a favorable option for AMD visual impairment treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
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Review

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9 pages, 2447 KiB  
Review
An OCT-A Analysis of the Importance of Intermediate Capillary Plexus in Diabetic Retinopathy: A Brief Review
by Charbel Haddad, Manon Baleine and Elie Motulsky
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(9), 2516; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13092516 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 217
Abstract
Optical coherence tomography-angiography is a technique that allows us to non-invasively study in vivo the different retinal vascular networks. This allows a deeper understanding of retinal capillary anatomy and function, in addition to the pathophysiologic changes encountered in diverse diseases. The four retinal [...] Read more.
Optical coherence tomography-angiography is a technique that allows us to non-invasively study in vivo the different retinal vascular networks. This allows a deeper understanding of retinal capillary anatomy and function, in addition to the pathophysiologic changes encountered in diverse diseases. The four retinal capillary layers have different anatomies and functions, implying distinct adaptation and roles in the course of the diseases. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. Several studies have evaluated how each retinal capillary layer is specifically affected according to the stage of the disease. Unfortunately, too few studies have considered the intermediate capillary plexus as a separate layer, as it has often been incorporated in another layer. In this review, we shed light on the potential role the intermediate capillary plexus plays in the physiopathology of diabetic retinal disease as well as its potential use in grading diabetic retinopathy and its clinical added value in estimating the disease prognosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
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27 pages, 8023 KiB  
Review
Current Status and Future Perspectives of Optic Nerve Imaging in Glaucoma
by Claudia Lommatzsch and Christian van Oterendorp
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(7), 1966; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13071966 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 393
Abstract
Being the primary site of degeneration, the optic nerve has always been the focus of structural glaucoma assessment. The technical advancements, mainly of optical coherence tomography (OCT), now allow for a very precise quantification of the optic nerve head and peripapillary retina morphology. [...] Read more.
Being the primary site of degeneration, the optic nerve has always been the focus of structural glaucoma assessment. The technical advancements, mainly of optical coherence tomography (OCT), now allow for a very precise quantification of the optic nerve head and peripapillary retina morphology. By far the most commonly used structural optic nerve parameter is the thickness of the parapapillary retinal nerve fiber, which has great clinical utility but also suffers from significant limitations, mainly in advanced glaucoma. Emerging novel imaging technologies, such as OCT angiography, polarization-sensitive or visible-light OCT and adaptive optics, offer new biomarkers that have the potential to significantly improve structural glaucoma diagnostics. Another great potential lies in the processing of the data already available. Artificial intelligence does not only help increase the reliability of current biomarkers but can also integrate data from various imaging modalities and other clinical measures to increase diagnostic accuracy. And it can, in a more efficient way, draw information from available datasets, such as an OCT scan, compared to the current concept of biomarkers, which only use a fraction of the whole dataset. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
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Other

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15 pages, 2436 KiB  
Systematic Review
A Comparison of Observational Studies on Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness Measured with OCT according to the Level of Thyroid Eye Disease Activity—Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Małgorzata Kowalik-Jagodzińska, Maria Sobol and Anna Turno-Kręcicka
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(14), 4720; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12144720 - 17 Jul 2023
Viewed by 701
Abstract
This study aims to systematise subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with different severities of thyroid eye disease (TED) compared with healthy subjects. The PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched for the following terms: [...] Read more.
This study aims to systematise subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with different severities of thyroid eye disease (TED) compared with healthy subjects. The PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched for the following terms: ((Graves’ ophthalmopathy) OR (thyroid eye disease) OR (Graves’ orbitopathy) OR (thyroid-associated orbitopathy)) AND (choroidal thickness) AND ((optical coherence tomography) OR (OCT)). The pool of papers was narrowed down to articles published until 31 January 2023 (26, 26 and 96 papers, respectively). Twenty-five (25) articles were taken into consideration, which were original papers and included the choroidal thickness measurements among TED patients in their results. Finally, eight papers were included in the comparative analysis of the SFCT parameter in TED patients and a group of healthy controls, and seven papers in the comparative analysis of the same parameter between active and inactive TED patients. The mean value of the difference between the TED group and the healthy group was 38.79 μm, with a confidence interval (CI) from 0.09 to 77.49 μm (p = 0.0495). The mean difference between the active TED group and inactive TED group was 38.02 μm, with a CI from 8.62 to 67.42 μm (p = 0.0113). All the results were statistically significant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ophthalmic Imaging)
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