Improved visualization of deep ocular structures in glaucoma using high penetration optical coherence tomography.

The introduction of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has revolutionized ophthalmology through the ability to non-invasively image the retina in vivo. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Despite major advances in imaging techniques, the pathogenesis of glaucoma remains poorly understood at present. The lamina cribrosa (LC) is the presumed site of axonal injury in glaucoma. Its thinning and deformation have been suggested to contribute to glaucoma development and progression by impeding axoplasmic flow within the optic nerve fibers, leading to apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells. To visualize the deep ocular structures such as the choroid and the LC, OCT imaging has been used, particularly the enhanced depth imaging (EDI)-OCT modality of spectral domain (SD)-OCT. However, the posterior laminar surface especially is not seen clearly using this method. A new generation of OCTs, swept-source (SS)-OCT, is able to image the LC and the choroid in vivo. SS-OCT employs a longer wavelength compared with the conventional OCT, generally set at 1050 nm (instead of 840 nm). We review current knowledge of the LC, findings from trials that use SD-OCT and EDI-OCT, and our experience with a prototype SS-OCT to quantify choroid changes and visualize the LC in its entirety.