Optical coherence tomography evaluation of retinal and optic nerve head neovascularization in proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the in vivo spatial and morphological vitreoretinal relationships associated with diabetic retinal neovascularization (NV) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Patient and Methods: This was a prospective observational study that involved 50 eyes of 46 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) documented by fluorescein angiography either treatment naοve or laser treated were included. Qualitative assessment of macula, retina and optic disc head OCT imaging of patients with PDR. The morphology and plane of retinal neovascularization at the disc (NVD) and elsewhere in the retina (NVE) was examined, and the posterior vitreous relationships were evaluated. Results: The mean age of patients was 52.1 years. Ten patients had type 1 diabetes and 36 had type 2 diabetes. It was possible to evaluate changes of retina, vessels and vitreous in the 50 eyes. This study describes OCT characteristics of: NVD in 35 eyes (70%), NVEs in 20 eyes (40%), NV causing traction without retinal detachment in 15 eyes (30%), and NV causing traction with retinal detachment in 10 eyes (20%). Conclusion: It is possible to image NV of proliferative retinopathy using spectral domain OCT and to visualize the retinal, vascular and vitreous changes associated with NV.