Purpose: To characterize retinal changes in areas of commotio retinae using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
Methods: In this retrospective observational case series, we included 14 eyes of 14 patients who had experienced blunt ocular trauma and underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and fundus photography evaluation on the same day. The retinal thickness and volume of eyes with commotio retinae were compared with those of eyes without it. Normal untraumatized fellow eyes served as control. Fundus images obtained by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were compared with fundus photographs. The retinal tissue reflectivities indicated by the images were compared across each lesion.
Results: There were 7 eyes with commotio retinae involving the macula and 7 eyes without it. Macular thickness and volume were not different between eyes with and without commotio retinae involving the macula. Photoreceptor outer segment reflectivity corresponding to the area of retinal opacity was increased with characteristic features and recovered with the disappearance of retinal opacity over time.
Conclusion: Lesions exhibiting retinal opacity characteristic of commotio retinae corresponded to hyperreflective outer segment lesions without the increase in retinal thickness on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.