Guide to OCT Interpretation

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a diagnostic technique that was introduced into clinical practice in 1997. In recent years it has become increasingly widely utilized, especiaily among retinal specialists. It has also proven useful in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma and reiated diseases. Cumulative experience and technical improvements, especiaily in the latest generation of OCT instruments, have led to a favorable consensus, even among practitioners of general ophthalmology.
The information about retinal abnormalities that OCT provides (such as intraretinal edema, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) detachment, intraretinal and subretinal neovascular changes, vitreoretinal traction, etc.) has made this new tomographic technique increasingly useful for diagnostic purposes. OCT also serves as a complement to the angiographic examinations performed in the study of many retinal pathologies.
This short handbook, supplemented by simple illustrations, attempts to describe a logicai procedure for image interpretation, through the application of the well-known Cartesian approach consisting of analysis fcllowed by synthesis.
We hope that this work of ours will be received favorably by our colleagues.

Rosario Brancato and Bruno Lumbroso

We wish to thank A. Armeni, C. Azzolini, P Carpineta. S. Catalano, I… Mastropasqua, A. Pascarella, L. Pieno, G. Ripandelli, M. Pispoli, C. Scassa, M. Setaccioli, and G. Tremolada for valuable collaboration in the preparation of this work.
We also wish to thank Prof. Jay Duker ofTufts-New England Medicai Center; Boston, MA, for his help with the English translation.
We also wish to extend our gratitude and recognition to Michela Buonpensiero from Carl Zeiss S.p.A. for her help in the preparation of this book.