Three-dimensional analysis of macular diseases with a scanning retinal thickness analyzer and a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope

OBJECTIVE: To compare three-dimensional analysis of macular diseases obtain ed using the scanning retinal thickness analyzer (RTA) with that obtained u sing the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope, Heidelberg Retina Tomograp h (HRT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Both the RTA and the HRT were used to examine 50 eyes of 36 patients with diabetic macular edema, macular edema following branch retinal vein occlusion, age-related macular degeneration, and idiopathic m acular holes. RESULTS: In most macular diseases, the retinal thickness map constructed us ing the RTA agreed with the image obtained with the HRT. The two maps were not consistent with each other, however, in patients with dense retinal hem orrhages and with extrafoveal furation. CONCLUSIONS: Although both the RTA and the HRT give additional information to clinically evaluate macular diseases, they do have limitations. The disc repancy between these two analyses in some specific macular pathologies mig ht be caused by the different wavelengths of the laser beam and the differe nt methodologies used to scan the retina.