Purpose: To present qualitative and quantitative changes in OCT image evolving during time in eyes with central retinal artery occlusion.
Material and methods: Results of OCT examination of 8 patients with central retinal artery occlusion were studied. The patients age ranged from 56 to 81 years (median - 63). The Group consisted of 5 men and 3 women. Follow-up period ranged from 6 o 28 months (median - 14 months). Patients were examined in acute stage of CRAO (1-3 days), 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 months after CRAO episode. The OCT examination was performed using Cirrus OCT (Zeiss) and macular region analyzed using a standard scanning protocol Macula Thickness: Macular Cube 512x128.
Results: In an acute stage of CRAO increased thickness and hyperreflectivity of the inner retinal layers with corresponding hyporeflectivity layer below was detected. During follow-up period thickness of inner retinal layers and total retinal thickness gradually decreased. The other retinal layers presented increased reflectivity over time. After 6 months of observation we observed an atrophy of the retinal layers and lack of fovea profile in all cases.
Conclusions: The SD-OCT examination appears to be a perfect method for the determination of the dynamics of the edematous and atrophic changes evolving after CRAO in the macular area.