HYPERREFLECTIVE FOVEAL SPOTS IN PATIENTS WITH VITREORETINAL ANOMALIES: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis. Issue 4 (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pierro, Luisa; Arrigo, Alessandro; Capone, Luigi; Aragona, Emanuela; Marchese, Alessandro; Iuliano, Lorenzo; Bandello, Francesco
• Is Part Of: Retina. Volume 40:Issue 4(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: hyperreflective foveal spots -- vitreomacular interface abnormalities -- optical coherence tomography -- optical coherence tomography angiography; Retina -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Retinal Diseases; Vitreous Body; 617.735
• DOI: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000002505
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0275-004X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: To describe structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography features in patients who have developed hyperreflective foveal spots with or without vitreomacular interface abnormalities or with vitreous adhesion alone. Methods: The study design was observational and cross sectional. The presence of defined epiretinal membrane was considered an exclusion criterion. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examination, with structural OCT and OCT angiography acquisitions. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of OCT angiography reconstructions were performed for superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, and choriocapillaris. Results: Thirty patients (20 men; mean age, 55.2 years) showing hyperreflective foveal spots on structural OCT and 30 healthy control subjects (20 men; mean age, 54.7 years) were enrolled. Best-corrected visual acuity was 0.0 ± 0.0 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/20 Snellen) for both patients and control subjects. Following global and parafoveal/extrafoveal analyses, both superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus showed significant reduction ( P < 0.001). Significant superficial capillary plexus and deep capillary plexus changes were also detected in contralateral eyes ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Hyperreflective foveal spots might be seen as the initial effect of traction forces causing Müller cell and external retinal layer disruption, leading to the onset of vitreomacular disease. These changes also have an effect on the retinal vascular network. Further larger prospective studies are necessary to confirm our findings. Abstract : This structural optical coherence tomography study describes the features of hyperreflective foveal spots in patients with or without vitreomacular interface abnormalities and in those showing only vitreous adhesion. Moreover, it highlights profound retinal vascular network alterations in both affected and apparently normal contralateral eyes when compared with control eyes.