Correlation of the OCT Double-Layer Sign with Type 1 Non-Exudative Neovascularization on OCT-A in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Dragana Ristic; Mirko Resan; Igor Pancevski; Petar Ristic; Miroslav Vukosavljevic; Milos Cvetkovic; Bojan Pajic

doi:10.3390/medicina59101829

Correlation of the OCT Double-Layer Sign with Type 1 Non-Exudative Neovascularization on OCT-A in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Oct 14;59(10):1829. doi: 10.3390/medicina59101829.

Authors

Dragana Ristic^{1

2}, Mirko Resan^{1

2

3}, Igor Pancevski^{1

2}, Petar Ristic^{2

4}, Miroslav Vukosavljevic^{2

5}, Milos Cvetkovic^{1

2}, Bojan Pajic^{2

3

6

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Eye Clinic, Military Medical Academy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
² Faculty of Medicine of the Military Medical Academy, University of Defense, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
³ Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁴ Endocrinology Clinic, Military Medical Academy, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁵ Military Medical Academy Management, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁶ Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
⁷ Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
⁸ Eye Clinic ORASIS, Swiss Eye Research Foundation, 5734 Reinach, Switzerland.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Early diagnosis of the exudative form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is very important for a timely first treatment, which is directly related to the preservation of functional visual acuity over a long period. The goal of this paper was to examine the correlation between the double-layer sign (DLS) and the presence of non-exudative macular neovascularization (MNV). Materials and Methods: Our research included 60 patients with AMD, exudative in one eye and non-exudative in the other eye. We analyzed only the non-exudative form using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). The patients were classified into three groups, depending on the duration of the disease (<2 years, 2 to 5 years, >5 years). The onset of the disease was deemed the moment of establishing a diagnosis of exudative AMD in one eye. We defined the presence or absence of a DLS using OCT and the presence of non-exudative MNV using OCT-A, both on 3 × 3 mm and 6 × 6 mm sections. DLS was used as a projection biomarker for non-exudative MNV, with the aim of establishing a rapid diagnosis and achieving early treatment of the disease. Results: We found that there was a statistically significant correlation between the DLS diagnosed using OCT and non-exudative MNV diagnosed by OCT-A for both 3 × 3 mm (p < 0.001) and 6 × 6 mm (p < 0.001) imaging. There was a statistically significant difference between the frequencies of both DLS and MNV in Groups I and III on both 3 × 3 and 6 × 6 mm imaging. A statistically significant difference was also noted in the frequencies of DLS and MNV on 6 × 6 mm imaging, but not on 3 × 3 mm imaging, between Groups I and II. No differences were found between the frequencies of DLS and MNV between Groups II and III. Conclusions: The DLS on OCT can be used as a projection biomarker to assess the presence of a non-exudative MNV.

Keywords: OCT; OCT-A; age-related macular degeneration; choroidal neovascularization; double-layer sign; neovascular membrane; retina.

MeSH terms

Biomarkers
Fluorescein Angiography / methods
Humans
Macular Degeneration* / diagnostic imaging
Neovascularization, Pathologic
Prospective Studies
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, Optical Coherence* / methods

Substances

Biomarkers

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.