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Ultra-widefield imaging valuable in detecting peripheral retinal ischemia
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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Ultra-widefield imaging with fluorescein angiography is a valuable tool for detecting retinal ischemia, according to a speaker here.
“With widefield angiography, you can notate neovascularization, perfused areas, previously lasered areas and the area of ischemia,” Judy E. Kim, MD, said at Retina 2016. “What can we do with that information? It seems that the presence of retinal ischemia may correlate with development of diabetic macular edema ... so the thought is that areas of ischemia causes increase in VEGF production, which then may play a role in development of diabetic macular edema.”
Judy E. Kim
In a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, Matthew M. Wessell, MD, and colleagues, found that patients with retinal ischemia had a 3.75 time higher chance of developing DME compared to patients without retinal ischemia, she said.
Kim hypothesizes that target retinal coagulation to the areas of nonperfusion may decrease VEGF production, which then may decrease the number of injections that are needed or improve diabetic macular edema, she said.
“There is a widespread area of nonperfusion that we normally were not able to see before ultra-widefield angiography was available,” Kim said.
“[Ultra-widefield imaging] may have a direct implication in the diagnosis, as well as how we manage, our patients going forward. We will await other studies to help us,” Kim said. – by Nhu Te
Reference:
Kim J. Ultra-wide field imaging for retinal disorders. Presented at: Retina 2016; Jan. 18, 2016; Waikoloa, Hawaii.
Disclosure: Kim reports she is on the advisory board for Alimera Sciences, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, Bayer, Genentech and Novartis. She receives research support from Optos and Notal Vision.