Spectral domain optical coherence tomography in limbal stem cell deficiency: a case control study

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Cornea: Medical

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 2

First Author: : N.Banayan FRANCE

Co Author(s): :    C. Georgeon   K. Grieve   V. Borderie                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To evaluate the efficacy of optical coherence tomography as a non-contact method for imaging the ocular surface in limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) and normal eyes. Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Setting:

Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts (Paris, France)

Methods:

Setting: Institutional. Study population: 22 eyes with LSCD (study group, 22 patients) and 23 normal eyes (control group, 22 patients). Observation procedures: SD-OCT and confocal microscopy in both the limbal and central corneal zones. Main outcome measures: Pachymetry data from the central cornea, presence of the palisades of Vogt, limbal crypts and clear transition between the hyporeflective corneal epithelium and the hyperreflective conjunctival epithelium assessed on cross-sections parallel and perpendicular to the limbus and en face sections of the limbal region. Three limbal scores were calculated by adding results of the four limbal quadrants.

Results:

Both the difference between the minimal and the maximal epithelial thicknesses and the epithelial thickness standard deviation were significantly higher in the study group (mean, 47µm/10 µm) compared with the control group (mean, 7 µm/1 µm). The parallel, perpendicular and en face limbal scores were significantly lower in the study group (mean, 0.1/0.6/0.2) compared with the control group (mean, 7.6/4.8/3.3). Poorer visual acuity was significantly associated with higher standard deviation and difference between minimal and maximal corneal epithelial thicknesses (rs, +0.86/+0.84), lower parallel, perpendicular and en face limbal scores (rs, -0.79/-0.82/-0.74).

Conclusions:

SD-OCT of both the central cornea and limbus with various section orientations is a valuable imaging modality allowing non-invasive and rapid overall precise assessment of both normal and LSCD eyes.

Financial Disclosure:

None