Oximetry: recent insights into retinal vasopathies and glaucoma.

Abstract

This review will highlight a new technology and recent insights into measuring retinal oxygen saturation in several ophthalmic diseases. A growing body of evidence suggests that disturbances in retinal blood flow and oxygenation are related to several retinopathies and glaucoma, which can severely impair vision. The retinal oximeter may allow researchers and physicians to gain deeper insights into retinal physiology and clarify the impact of ischemia on retinal health and function. There are two commercially available systems to measure retinal oxygen saturation: the Oxymap retinal oximeter (Reykjavik, Iceland) and the Imedos Systems UG (Jena, Germany). In this review we will focus on the results obtained with Oxymap. Direct and non-invasive measurement of retinal oxygen saturation have potentially useful diagnostic and therapeutic indications in various eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, central retinal vein and artery occlusion, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and retinopathy of prematurity. Despite several limitations, oxygen saturation assessment in the retinal vessels is a significant advancement in the understanding of ocular diseases. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to validate the use of oximetry in retinal vasopathies and glaucoma.