Abstract
Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) high-speed, high-resolution imaging of the macula has become an essential tool for evaluating dry and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This high-speed, high-resolution imaging strategy, combined with new innovative algorithms, permits reproducible measurements of the anatomic changes associated with AMD, which include drusen, geographic atrophy (GA), and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). To visualize drusen and larger retinal pigment epithelial detachments, an algorithm was developed for Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin CA) to detect elevations in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). To visualize GA, an algorithm was developed to provide en face visualization of the macula, which easily identifies and measures areas where the RPE has been lost. To visualize CNV and the associated macular fluid, an algorithm was developed to measure the retinal thickness between the internal limiting membrane and the RPE. No other imaging modality is capable of qualitatively and quantitatively following patients at all stages of AMD, which makes SD-OCT the ideal instrument for following disease progression and the effect of therapies.