Visualization of the macula in gas-filled eyes: Spectral domain optical coherence tomography versus swept-source optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the visualization of the macula between spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) in gas-filled eyes.

Methods: Sixty-one patients with common indications of gas tamponade, including 27 with macular holes and 34 with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, who were treated with vitrectomy and gas tamponade were imaged using both SD-OCT (3D-OCT 2000, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan) and SS-OCT (DRI-OCT, Topcon) at 1, 3, and 7 days after the surgery. Good visualization of the macular area was defined as 1) visible foveal contour and discriminable status of hole (open or closed) for macular hole and 2) visible macular contour and distinguishable status for the presence of subretinal fluid for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. The frequencies of good visualization were compared between SD-OCT and SS-OCT in each case.

Results: Among 27 eyes with macular hole, good visualization at Day 1 was observed in 16 (59.3%) with SD-OCT and 24 (88.9%) with SS-OCT using a line scan protocol. For the cases with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, good visualization at the day was noted in 12 (35.3%) and 25 (73.5%) eyes with SD-OCT and SS-OCT, respectively. For each scan protocol, the differences in good visualization of the macula between SD-OCT and SS-OCT were statistically significant for macular hole and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between line and volume scan protocols, although good visualization was more frequently noted using the line scan protocol.

Conclusion: In gas-filled eyes, SS-OCT performed significantly better than SD-OCT to visualize the macula. Using SS-OCT may lead to better decisions on further treatment during the early postoperative period, especially about postoperative positioning.