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OCT use surges over past decade
A surge in optical coherence tomography use for diagnosis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and macular edema coincided with a marked drop in the use of fluorescein angiography and fundus photography, according to a large longitudinal study.
“Indeed, these trends appear to represent a shift in testing paradigms toward increasing reliance on OCT at the expense of more traditional modalities,” the study authors said.
Researchers culled claims data from a managed-care database and assessed whether 22,954 patients with neovascular AMD or 31,810 patients with macular edema underwent OCT, fluorescein angiography or fundus photography.
Within 12 months of diagnosis of neovascular AMD, 315% more patients underwent OCT in 2008 than in 2003, whereas 13% fewer patients underwent fluorescein angiography and 18% fewer patients underwent fundus photography. Similarly in patients with macular edema, 143% more patients underwent OCT, whereas 19% fewer patients underwent fluorescein angiography and 17% fewer patients underwent fundus photography within the first 12 months after diagnosis.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
Back to TopThis study looked at claims data from a large managed-care network from 2001 to 2009. This time period was selected because it represents the beginning of non-laser wet age-related macular degeneration therapy (ie, photodynamic therapy with Visudyne in 2000) through several years of wide adoption of anti-VEGF therapy. Specifically, the usage of ancillary testing, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography and fundus photography was monitored.
As all practicing retina clinicians know, our use of OCT has skyrocketed, while the use of fluorescein angiography and fundus photography has diminished. This study confirms it. Because it is a retrospective report of data from more than 4 years ago, there is no direct effect on current clinical practice.