Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Microvascular Variations in Pre- and Posttreatment of Retinoblastoma Tumors

Juan P Fernandez; Asghar A Haider; Lejla Vajzovic; Arathi Ponugoti; Michael P Kelly; Miguel A Materin

doi:10.1159/000515142

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Microvascular Variations in Pre- and Posttreatment of Retinoblastoma Tumors

Ocul Oncol Pathol. 2021 Oct;7(5):330-339. doi: 10.1159/000515142. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Authors

Juan P Fernandez¹, Asghar A Haider¹, Lejla Vajzovic¹, Arathi Ponugoti¹, Michael P Kelly¹, Miguel A Materin¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to describe variations in microvasculature before and after treatment of treatment-naive lesions and during consolidation therapy of retinoblastoma lesions using an investigational portable optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) system.

Methods: This study is a single-center, prospective, observational case series. Recruited subjects were either undergoing surveillance for retinoblastoma or had newly detected retinoblastoma. Nine tumors from 7 eyes in 6 patients were included. During exams under anesthesia, the tumors were imaged with an investigational portable OCTA system. OCTA images were analyzed to assess vascular changes before and after treatment.

Results: In all 6 presented cases, OCTA imaging revealed distinctive vascular patterns, such as dilated feeder arteries and draining veins, disorganized and complex branching patterns, irregular vessel calibers, and dilation and tortuosity of vessels. After treatment, OCTA imaging revealed decreased intrinsic tumor vascularity and reduced dilation of draining and feeder vessels. Tumor relapse demonstrated prominent vascularity (n = 1) that resolved on repeat OCTA after transpupillary thermotherapy treatment. Type 2 (n = 1), 3 (n = 6), and 4 (n = 1) tumor regression patterns were seen in our patients after treatment, and OCTA findings were consistent with a previously published report. Interestingly, in one of the presented cases, OCTA demonstrated clear feeder, draining, and intrinsic tumor vessels that were not as evident on fluorescein angiography.

Conclusions: OCTA may offer a noninvasive and sensitive technique to evaluate the vasculature of both the tumor and the surrounding retina in retinoblastoma. With additional research and development into its use in patients with retinoblastoma, OCTA may one day be useful in assessing treatment response and residual tumor activity.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Microvasculature; Optical coherence tomography angiography; Retinoblastoma.