Spectral domain optical coherence tomography analysis of macular changes in tilted disk syndrome

Staphyloma-induced Serous Maculopathy: Natural Course and Treatment Effects

PURPOSE

To study the natural course of staphyloma-induced serous maculopathy (SISM) and the effects of treatments.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective analysis included 26 eyes of 20 patients with SISM and at least 12 months of follow-up.

METHODS

Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, such as age, sex, spherical equivalent, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), type of staphyloma, and imaging characteristics. Spectralis OCT B-scans were evaluated for the presence and height of the serous retinal detachment (SRD) at each follow-up visit. An SRD episode was defined as a period with SRD in 1 patient.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Changes in SRD height and BCVA.

RESULTS

Twenty-six eyes of 20 patients (70% female) were included. The mean age was 54 ± 11 years, and the mean spherical equivalent was -4.8 ± 3.3 diopters at baseline. The staphyloma was located inferior in 12 eyes (46%), inferonasal in 7 eyes (27%), and nasal in 7 eyes (27%). The mean follow-up duration was 73 ± 34 months. During follow-up, the SRD height fluctuated in all eyes, with a mean change of 125 ± 56 μm. The SRD disappeared completely during follow-up in 13 eyes (50%) and then reappeared in 7 eyes (35%). Resolution occurred spontaneous in 8 eyes (31%). The median time of an SRD episode was 25 (interquartile range 14-57) months. Treatment was performed in 20 eyes (77%) and led to resolution of SRD in 3 of the 15 photodynamic therapy treatments (21%), 2 of 5 (40%) anti-VEGF series, and 2 of 4 eyes (50%) treated with topical prednisolone. Best-corrected visual acuity at the final visit (0.42 ± 0.25) was not significantly different from BCVA at baseline (0.34 ± 0.27 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, P = 0.07), nor was BCVA change significantly different between treated eyes (n = 19) and nontreated eyes (n = 7, P = 0.3).

CONCLUSION

Serous retinal detachment in patients with SISM fluctuated over time and resolved without treatment in 31% of the eyes. Because treatment does not change the course of BCVA, a wait-and-see policy is advocated in these patients on the exclusion of treatable causes of SRD.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Tilted disc in eyes with fovea plana

PURPOSE

To report the association of tilted disc (TD) with fovea plana.

METHODS

Monocentric retrospective study of consecutive eyes diagnosed with fovea plana, assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Analysis of the medical charts and imaging findings of patients to collect demographics, the visual acuity, and the clinical context. The presence of associated conditions was checked by two independent readers in order to classify fovea plana as isolated or part of other conditions.

RESULTS

Twenty-one patients, 9 men and 12 women, aged 12 to 91 years, were included. Fovea plana was isolated and asymptomatic in 10 (47.6%) patients. In 6 (28.5%) patients, fovea plana was associated with ocular albinism and/or nystagmus. In 6 (28.5%) patients, fovea plana was associated with an obliquity of the optic disc typical of TD, isolated (5 cases), or associated with nystagmus (1 case).

CONCLUSION

An association between TD and fovea plana had been reported only once in the literature and had been considered likely coincidental. However, this association could be more common than initially reported and suggests a common pathological process in eye development during embryogenesis.

Deep Optic Nerve Head Morphology in Tilted Disc Syndrome and Its Clinical Implication on Visual Damage

Purpose

To study deep optic nerve head (ONH) morphology in tilted disc syndrome (TDS) and identify factors associated with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defect.

Methods

In patients with TDS, we evaluated the optic disc shape using the Bruch's membrane opening (BMO)-anterior scleral canal opening (ASCO) offset and measured the border tissue (BT) length, depth, and angle in the direction of the tilt, using radial ONH optical coherence tomography (OCT). We compared the parameters between the TDS groups with and without RNFL defects.

Results

Twenty-one eyes had no glaucomatous RNFL defect, and 38 eyes had a glaucomatous RNFL defect. The group with RNFL defects had a higher baseline IOP, larger tilt axis of BMO-ASCO optic disc margin (76.4° ± 14.5° vs. 87.9° ± 15.4°, P = 0.012), larger BMO-lamina cribrosa insertion (LCI) angle (25.6° ± 9.3° vs. 43.6° ± 15.2°, P < 0.001), and more lamina cribrosa (LC) defects (4.3% vs. 30.6%, P = 0.028) than without RNFL defects. The tilt axis and BMO-LCI angle were significant factors after adjusting for baseline IOP and LC defect. The BMO-LCI angle had excellent diagnostic power for glaucomatous RNFL defect in TDS, similar to the visual field mean deviation.

Conclusions

OCT-based large deep ONH BT angle and tilt axis were factors associated with the presence of RNFL defects in TDS. The results suggest a mechanism of RNFL defect associated with structural ONH deformation. Further investigations are warranted to understand the role of ONH structures in a general population with and without optic disc tilt.

Myopic tilted disc: Mechanism, clinical significance, and public health implication

Myopic tilted disc is a common structural change of myopic eyes. With advancing ocular imaging technology, the associated structural changes of the eye, particularly the optic nerve head, have been extensively studied. These structural changes may increase patients' susceptibility to axonal damage and the risk of developing serious optic neuropathies including glaucoma. They also lead to diagnostic difficulties of disease suspects and treatment dilemmas of patients, which implicate clinical practice and subsequently the health care system. In the context of the mounting prevalence of myopia worldwide and its implications to irreversible visual impairment and blindness, it is essential to gain a thorough understanding of the structural changes of myopia. Myopic tilted disc has been extensively investigated by different study groups. However, generalizing the knowledge could be difficult because of the variable definitions of myopic tilted disc utilized in these studies and the complexities of the changes. The current review aimed to clarify the concepts and discuss various aspects of myopic tilted disc, including the definitions, association with other myopia-related changes, mechanism of tilted disc development, structural and functional changes, and clinical implications.

Three cases of macular hole that occurred in inferior scleral staphyloma associated with tilted disc syndrome: a case series

Background

The objective is to examine the clinical characteristics of three patients with macular hole that occurred in inferior posterior staphyloma associated with tilted disc syndrome.

Case presentations

This study involved three eyes of three Japanese female patients (mean age 76.0 years, range 73–84 years) with macular hole occurring in inferior posterior staphyloma associated with tilted disc syndrome. One of the three eyes was slightly myopic, while the other two eyes were highly myopic. In all three eyes, the macular hole was found to be located in or near the margin of the inferior posterior staphyloma. In one eye, the extent of retinoschisis was rather broad in the margin of the macular hole, and another eye had a history of treatment for choroidal neovascularization. As surgical treatment, the internal limiting membrane in areas surrounding the macular hole was detached after producing artificial posterior vitreous detachment, and a gas tamponade was performed. It was found during surgery that the extensibility of the retina in the margin of the MH was decreased in the three eyes as compared with a usual macular hole. Although the macular hole was successfully closed in all three cases post surgery, the layer structure of the central retina was poorly repaired in all three cases and choroidal neovascularization remained in one case. In all three cases, corrected visual acuity remained at 0.3–0.5 post surgery.

Conclusions

Our findings showed poor improvement of visual acuity in all three cases post surgery, even if closure of the macular hole is achieved, thus suggesting that in cases of macular hole associated with tilted disc syndrome and inferior posterior staphyloma, the presence of macular dysfunction existing prior to the onset of macular hole affects visual prognosis.

Tilted disc syndrome (TDS): New hypotheses for posterior segment complications and their implications in other retinal diseases

Tilted disc syndrome (TDS) is considered a congenital anomaly due to a delayed closure of the embryonic fissure. It is characterized by an oblique orientation of the axis of the optic disc, associated with other posterior pole anomalies such as inferior crescent, situs inversus and inferior staphyloma. The aim of this review was to summarize the data supporting the current hypotheses for the pathogenesis of TDS, and its anatomical and functional clinical consequences. Recent imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging, wide-field fundus imaging, and 2- and 3-D optical coherence tomography have provided a new perspective on TDS and its complications. Different abnormalities have previously been reported, both in the anterior and posterior segments. The focus was on vision-threatening chorioretinal changes or complications, including choroidal neovascularization and serous retinal detachments and their therapeutic options. Based on clinical observations, assumptions were proposed to understand the occurrence of complications such as chorioretinal degenerative changes, choroidal neovascularization and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, macular serous retinal detachment, myopic foveoschisis and chorioretinal folds. These hypotheses could be referred to as the curvature "breaking point" hypothesis, the uneven growth "tractional" hypothesis, the "container-content" imbalance hypothesis, and the "choroidal funnel" hypothesis. Because these complications could also occur in other contexts, understanding the pathogenesis of TDS complications could help to understand their pathophysiology.

ODTiD: Optic Nerve Head SD-OCT Image Dataset

Introduction

Optic disc tilt (ODT) or tilted optic disc is a common finding in the general population. It is due to anomalous development caused by the malclosure of the embryonic optic fissure. ODT is commonly associated with high myopia as well as other conditions. In recent days, the common method to image the optic disc (OD) is by optical coherence tomography (OCT). To the best of our knowledge, there are no datasets of ODT available in the public domain. This dataset aims to make open access raw ODT OCT images to test out new image processing segmentation algorithms.

Methods

This dataset of ODT images contains both horizontal and vertical cross-sectional images obtained using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT, Cirrus 5000, Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA). The optic disc cube 200×200 program was used and all the images are aligned with the center of the optic nerve head. This dataset includes images from both clinically normal (20 eyes) and myopic subjects (101 eyes).

Results

The dataset consists of clear (121) and manually marked (121) images resulting in a total of 242 images. The age distribution for all subjects combined is 27.24 ± 9.28 (range, 11.0-69.0) years. For normal subjects mean ± SD age distribution is 32.40 ± 17.23 years. Similarly, the myopia age distribution is 26.22 ± 6.37 years. Ground truth images, ie, manually segmented by a clinical expert are provided along with other meta-data includes age, gender, laterality, refractive error classification, spherical equivalent (SE), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and axial length (AXL).

Conclusion

This open, public database is online at the ICPSR website of the University of Michigan. The dataset can be used to test and validate newly developed automated segmentation algorithms.

Pre- and juxtapapillary arterial loops in eyes with tilted disc syndrome and inferior staphyloma

Purpose

To report and discuss the association between pre- or juxtapapillary arterial loops and tilted disc syndrome (TDS).

Observations

Three patients, aged 43–59 years, with both conditions were examined in a tertiary referral center, and underwent fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and/or OCT-angiography. They all presented with a typical inferior staphyloma associated with TDS and anomalies of insertion of retinal vessels. The vascular malformation consisted in one acquired arterial loop or cilioretinal collateral circulation occurring after central artery occlusion, and two more complex pre- and juxtapapillary arterial loops. In all cases, the vascular loops extended inferiorly, in the area of the staphyloma.

Conclusion and importance

We hypothesized that the local anatomical changes in the peripapillary area, observed in eyes with TDS and inferior staphyloma, could have promoted the occurrence and/or extent of the arterial loops.

Macular associations of tilted disc syndrome

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to describe macular changes associated with tilted disc syndrome (TDS) using multimodality imaging.

Methods:

This is a retrospective observational study of the consecutive TDS cases which were studied for macular changes using color fundus photographs and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Fundus autofluorescence, fundus fluorescein angiography, and OCT angiography were performed wherever required.

Results:

Twenty consecutive TDS cases (36 eyes) were included. OCT showed inferior depression of all layers in specific scans and macular pathologies seen included lamellar macular hole, full-thickness macular hole, retinal pigment epithelial detachment, acute and resolved subretinal fluid, central serous chorioretinopathy, and choroidal neovascular membrane. Macular involvement was seen in 13 eyes (36.11%) while in the remaining 23 eyes, outer retinal changes were seen on OCT in 9 eyes and normal retinal layers in 14 eyes (38.89%).

Conclusion:

Various macular pathologies associated with TDS are described using multimodality imaging. These provide understanding of changes which can occur with TDS. It also highlights the need for recognition, differentiation from similar confusing entities, and the necessity to follow-up of these cases carefully to detect the macular changes earlier.

IMI Pathologic Myopia

Pathologic myopia is a major cause of visual impairment worldwide. Pathologic myopia is distinctly different from high myopia. High myopia is a high degree of myopic refractive error, whereas pathologic myopia is defined by a presence of typical complications in the fundus (posterior staphyloma or myopic maculopathy equal to or more serious than diffuse choroidal atrophy). Pathologic myopia often occurs in eyes with high myopia, however its complications especially posterior staphyloma can also occur in eyes without high myopia.

Owing to a recent advance in ocular imaging, an objective and accurate diagnosis of pathologic myopia has become possible. Especially, optical coherence tomography has revealed novel lesions like dome-shaped macula and myopic traction maculopathy. Wide-field optical coherence tomography has succeeded in visualizing the entire extent of large staphylomas. The effectiveness of new therapies for complications have been shown, such as anti-VEGF therapies for myopic macular neovascularization and vitreoretinal surgery for myopic traction maculopathy.

Myopia, especially childhood myopia, has been increasing rapidly in the world. In parallel with an increase in myopia, the prevalence of high myopia has also been increasing. However, it remains unclear whether or not pathologic myopia will increase in parallel with an increase of myopia itself. In addition, it has remained unclear whether genes responsible for pathologic myopia are the same as those for myopia in general, or whether pathologic myopia is genetically different from other myopia.

Factors associated with serous retinal detachment in highly myopic eyes with inferior posterior staphyloma

PURPOSE

To investigate the factors associated with persistent serous retinal detachment in highly myopic eyes with inferior posterior staphyloma.

METHODS

A total of 27 highly myopic patients (44 eyes) with an inferior posterior staphyloma were recruited. Serous retinal detachment was investigated; 13 eyes had persistent sub-macular fluid (study group), and 31 eyes lacked sub-macular fluid (control group). All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examinations, including axial length measurement and fluorescein angiography (FA). Triton Deep Range Imaging (DRI) optical coherence tomography (OCT) (Topcon Corp., Tokyo, Japan) scans through the fovea measured choroidal thicknesses, macular bend height, and vitreoretinal interface factors.

RESULTS

Of the 44 eyes, 13 had neurosensory retinal detachment and 31 did not. No significant differences were found in any of the studied variables (age, gender, spherical equivalence, axial length, vitreomacular traction, epiretinal membrane, internal limiting membrane detachment), except a higher macular bend height (p = 0.01), and a reduced macular choroidal thickness (p = 0.02), which were associated with the risk of serous retinal detachment. No statistically significant differences in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were observed between the study and control groups. Serous retinal detachment always occurred at the bisected retinal pigment epithelium of the macula corresponding to the upper edge of the staphyloma, and was characterised by multiple hyperfluorescent granular patches on fluorescein angiography.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher macular bend height and a reduced macular choroidal thickness may be important factors in the development of serous retinal detachment in patients with inferior posterior staphyloma.

Impact of the Morphologic Characteristics of Optic Disc on Choroidal Thickness in Young Myopic Patients

Purpose

To explore the characteristics of tilted optic disc and peripapillary atrophy (PPA), and their associations with choroidal thickness (ChT) in young myopic patients.

Methods

A total of 821 patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Optic disc tilt ratio, PPA area, macular ChT (mChT), and peripapillary ChT (pChT) were measured. Subjects were divided into four groups purely on the basis of the axial length (AL). Relationships between ChT and the morphologic characteristics of optic disc were analyzed using logistic regression.

Results

The prevalence of tilted optic disc and PPA increased as myopia severity increased. Every 0.1-mm2 increase in PPA area was associated with a 14.93-μm decrease in mChT and a 9.54-μm decrease in pChT; and every 0.1 increase in tilt ratio was correlated with a 5.38-μm increase in mChT and a 6.21 decrease in pChT. After stratifying by myopia severity, these trends were still observed in the high myopia group. A larger PPA area (odds ratio [OR] = 2.33; P < 0.01), a longer AL (OR = 1.34; P < 0.01), an increased pChT (OR = 1.11; P < 0.01), and a decreased mChT (OR = 0.93; P < 0.01) were associated with higher odds of having tilted optic disc.

Conclusions

In young myopic patients, mChT was negatively associated with PPA area and positively associated with tilt ratio, while pChT was negatively associated with PPA area and tilt ratio. In this population, larger PPA area, longer AL, and thinner mChT were associated with higher odds of tilted optic disc.

Variable Clinical Profile of Fovea Plana in Normal Children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

This study is designed to illustrate various clinical findings associated with fovea plana in normal children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective chart review of pediatric subjects with a diagnosis of fovea plana was conducted to evaluate the characteristics associated with this condition.

RESULTS

All eyes had 20/40 or better best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). In five of six subjects (83%), there was bilateral fovea plana. Astigmatism equal or greater than +1.5 diopters was present in 45% of eyes. On spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), a foveal depression was absent in 82% of eyes and the inner nuclear layer was present in the center of the fovea in all eyes analyzed.

CONCLUSION

Fovea plana is typically a bilateral disease and occurs in patients with generally good BCVA despite abnormal SD-OCT findings. However, unilateral disease may also be present. Astigmatism may be more prevalent in patients with fovea plana than initially suspected. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:251-257.].

Optical Coherence Tomography and Biometry in High Myopia with Tilted Disc

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare retinal thickness and biometric parameters between highly myopic eyes with and without tilted optic discs.

METHODS

A total of 60 eyes from 60 highly myopic individuals (defined as a mean spherical equivalent refraction of -6.00 D or greater and axial length ≥26 mm) underwent detailed ophthalmic examination. Twenty-one eyes (13 females and 8 males; mean age: 29 ± 7 years) with tilted optic discs were recruited and compared with 39 eyes (23 females and 16 males; mean age: 28 ± 6 years) of control subjects without tilted optic discs using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the Lenstar biometer. Disc ovality was assessed using the ratio of minimum to maximum disc diameter (index of tilt). A ratio of ≤0.80 was considered as a tilted optic disc.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in biometric parameters between two groups. However, myopia in the tilted disc group was significantly greater compared to the non-tilted group (-8.82 ± 1.58 D vs. -7.84 ± 1.22 D, p = 0.01). Comparison of OCT sectoral macular nerve fiber layer measurements between groups showed significant differences in inner ring thicknesses for the nasal (p = 0.01), inferior (p < 0.001), and temporal (p = 0.04) quadrants. A significant difference was also seen in outer ring macular nerve fiber layer thickness for the temporal quadrant (p = 0.03). No significant differences were demonstrated in optic disc peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Mean spherical equivalent refractive error is strongly correlated with optic disc tilt; however, other biometric factors are independent of tilt. Structural examination of the eye using OCT can be employed to differentiate between eyes with tilted optic discs and those with normal discs. Peripapillary RNFL appears to be unaffected by tilted discs.

CHORIORETINAL WHITE DOT LESIONS IN EYES WITH MULTIFOCAL CHOROIDITIS AND TILTED DISK SYNDROME WITH INFERIOR STAPHYLOMA

PURPOSE

To assess the influence of tilted disk syndrome (TDS) and inferior staphyloma on the macular clinical expression of MFC.

METHODS

Medical charts of patients with MFC examined since 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. All patients underwent standard examination and multimodal imaging including fundus color photography, fundus autofluorescence, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Two groups of patients were compared : Group 1 with TDS and inferior staphyloma and Group 2 without. The number of MFC spots were counted and normalized to the surface area in a circle centered about the fovea. In Group 1, the number of lesions inside the staphyloma was compared with that outside the staphyloma.

RESULTS

At baseline, 8 eyes in Group 1 had a mean (±SD) higher number of chorioretinal lesions outside the staphyloma (14.5 [±7.2]) than within the staphyloma (5 [±5.5]) (P = 0.017). All 11 eyes in Group 2 had chorioretinal lesions homogeneously distributed in the posterior pole. Eyes with TDS and inferior staphyloma developed choroidal neovascularization more frequently (6/8 eyes) than eyes without TDS (5/11 eyes) (P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION

Inferior staphyloma associated with TDS could modulate the clinical expression of the inflammatory and neovascular process in eyes with MFC.

Clinical Characteristics of Posterior Staphylomas in Myopic Eyes With Axial Length Shorter Than 26.5 Millimeters

PURPOSE

To describe the features of posterior staphylomas in myopic eyes with an axial length shorter than 26.5 mm causing visual loss in old age.

DESIGN

Retrospective, observational case series.

METHODS

After reviewing cases of staphyloma, we isolated 16 eyes from 10 patients with an axial length <26.5 mm for further analysis. These patients had all undergone fundus photography and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) and some had undergone 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D-MRI).

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 70.0 ± 6.3 years (mean ± standard deviation; range 59-81). The mean axial length of the eyes with a posterior staphyloma was 25.14 ± 0.77 mm and the mean refractive error of the affected eyes was -4.28 ± 2.65 diopters. The median visual acuity was 20/60. All eyes presented with diffuse chorioretinal atrophy, which resembles pathologic myopic maculopathy. Fuchs spots previously were detected in 3 eyes (19%) and lacquer cracks in 2 (12%). SDOCT imaging of the macula showed decreased choroidal thickness in all eyes. A macular retinoschisis was detected in 5 eyes (31%), decreased ellipsoid zone reflectivity in 4 (25%), foveal retinal detachment in 2 (12%), a dome-shaped macula in 1 (6%), a choroidal neovascularization-related subretinal scar in 3 (19%), and loss of ellipsoid zone and outer nuclear layer in 3 (19%). The 3D-MRI scans from 8 eyes showed posterior staphylomas, lateral angulation, or protrusion in all eyes. No eye featured a tilted disc syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

Posterior staphylomas in myopic eyes with an axial length shorter than 26.5 mm exhibit features resembling pathologic myopic maculopathy. This type of staphyloma might cause visual impairment in elderly patients and can be considered atypical forms of pathologic myopia in old age.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography findings in pediatric tilted disc syndrome

PURPOSE

To report a novel spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) finding in children affected by tilted disc syndrome (TDS), and to correlate it with early visual field defects.

METHODS

Patients between 5 and 17 years old with TDS were enrolled in this study. The diagnosis of TDS was made by stereoscopic fundus photography, when the upper edge of the optic disc protruded anteriorly relative to its lower edge. All eyes were examined with 12 radial SD-OCT B-scans of 12 mm centered on the optic disc; the fundus area encompassing the optic nerve was additionally scanned using several vertical and horizontal scans.. C-scan SD-OCT were acquired using the Macular Cube 512 x 128 to create the en face image. Standard automated perimetry 24-2 tests were performed on all patients.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight eyes of 20 pediatric patients with TDS syndrome were enrolled during this 24-months clinical trial. Their mean age was 10.9 ± 2.7 years (range 7-15 years), 12 (60%) were male and eight (40%) were female. The OCT images of the optic discs showed a protrusion of the upper edge of Bruch's membrane and choroid at the nasal edge of the optic disc in 39.5% of the eyes. The retinal nerve fiber tissue appeared to be herniated into this protrusion and bent superiorly in 15 eyes. This severe bending corresponded to early visual field anomalies that were not reduced by corrective lenses in 46.7% of the eyes.

CONCLUSION

Visual field defects that do not improve by increased myopic correction in TDS may be due to the severe bending of the retinal nerve fiber tissue, which would impair axonal flow.