CLINICAL-ASSESSMENT OF THE MACULA BY RETINAL TOPOGRAPHY AND THICKNESSMAPPING

PURPOSE: To report a quantitative and objective method for assessing p athologic alterations in retinal structures to improve the evaluation of macular diseases. METHODS: We used a system based on the scanning r etinal thickness analyzer to generate serial optical section images of the retina and provide mapping of the retinal topography and thicknes s in a normal subject and in patients with representative maculopathie s including traumatic macular hole, central serous chorioretinopathy, branch retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema, and retinal pig ment epithelial detachment, RESULTS: The effectiveness of the system i n imaging both the vitreoretinal and chorioretinal interfaces was conf irmed in the normal subject and in patients with various maculopathies . Mapping of retinal topography and thickness in a normal eye correlat ed well with normal anatomy, delineating the foveal depression clearly , The retinal thickness map in a patient with diabetic macular edema s howed thickening of the retina and absence of a foveal depression, The patients with central serous chorioretinopathy and branch retinal vei n occlusion had an elevated vitreoretinal surface. Conversely, the pat ient with retinal pigment epithelial detachments had a relatively flat vitreoretinal interface but an irregularly elevated chorioretinal sur face, CONCLUSION: Quantitative mapping of retinal topography and thick ness is a promising tool that may improve evaluation of macular diseas es.