Retinal oximetry: Metabolic imaging for diseases of the retina and brain

Publication date: Available online 15 April 2019Source: Progress in Retinal and Eye ResearchAuthor(s): Einar Stefánsson, Olof Birna Olafsdottir, Thorunn S. Eliasdottir, Wouter Wehmeijer, Anna Bryndis Einarsdottir, Toke Bek, Thomas Lee Torp, Jakob Grauslund, Thor Eysteinsson, Robert Arnar Karlsson, Karel Van Keer, Ingeborg Stalmans, Evelien Vandewalle, Margarita G. Todorova, Martin Hammer, Gerhard Garhöfer, Leopold Schmetterer, Martin Šín, Sveinn Hakon HardarsonAbstractRetinal oximetry imaging of retinal blood vessels measures oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The imaging technology is non-invasive and reproducible with remarkably low variability on test-retest studies and in healthy cohorts. Pathophysiological principles and novel biomarkers in several retinal diseases have been discovered, as well as possible applications for systemic and brain disease.In diabetic retinopathy, retinal venous oxygen saturation is elevated and arteriovenous difference progressively reduced in advanced stages of retinopathy compared with healthy persons. This correlates with pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy where hypoxia stimulates VEGF production. Laser treatment and vitrectomy both improve retinal oximetry values, which correlate with clinical outcome. The oximetry biomarker may allow automatic measurement of severity of diabetic retinopathy and predict its response to treatment.Central retinal vein occlusion is characterized by retinal hypoxia, which is evident in retinal oximetry....
Source: Progress in Retinal and Eye Research - Category: Opthalmology Source Type: research