As researchers continue to explore new approaches to anterior segment OCT angiography (OCT-A), a team from Tufts University School of Medicine reports the technology shows promise as a noninvasive tool to assess corneal neovascularization severity.

The investigation, published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, also found more severe cases showed greater corneal  neovascularization posterior limit, thickness, depth, area and volume. Additionally, the investigators observed a strong correlation between vessel depth and volume and visual acuity.

The study included 19 mild, 10 moderate and six severe eyes, and enrollees had no significant age or gender differences. The researchers analyzed OCT-A images for the vessels’ anterior limit, posterior limit, thickness, depth percentage, vessel density, area and volume. They also compared OCT-A parameters with clinical parameters, including classification, a numerical severity scale, vascular clock hours and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

The researchers observed an increase in vessel depth and volume from mild to moderate (9.3±1.1% to 17.7±3.3% and 0.2±0.1mm³ to 1.0±0.3mm³, respectively) and from moderate to severe NV (44.6±5.3% and 2.0±0.3mm³, respectively).

Other significant study findings concerning corneal neovascularization:

• Area and posterior limit increased from mild to moderate (1.7±0.3mm² to 4.6±0.7mm² and 217.7±16.8μm to 349.1±54.9μm, respectively), but not from moderate to severe.
• Thickness increased from moderate to severe (218.2±46.6μm to 340.2±8.7μm), but not from mild to moderate.
• Area and volume showed good correlations with corneal neovascularization staging and severity scale.
• Area showed good correlation with clock hours.
• Depth and volume showed good correlation with BCVA.
• Anterior limit and vessel density showed no significant correlations.

The findings suggest anterior segment OCT-A may provide novel, quantitative and noninvasive parameters for assessing corneal neovascularization severity, the researchers noted.