Adaptive Optics Imaging in Retinal Vasculitis

Purpose: To study the sheathing of retinal vasculitis in various systemic autoimmune diseases using adaptive optics imaging (AOI).

Methods: Prospective, observational case series with six patients: Behçet disease (n = 1); systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 1); idiopathic retinal vasculitis (n = 2); granulomatosis with polyangiitis (n = 1); and Takayasu aorta arteritis (n = 1). Fundus photograph (FP), fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) were done in all cases at presentation. Using the Image J software, perivascular sheathing and wall-to-wall diameter of the vessel involved were measured on AOI at time of presentation and on follow-up.

Results: AOI was able to pick the pipe-stem sheathing in SLE and IRV(I) and parallel sheathing in rest, which correlated with FP and FFA. Moreover, the decrease and a complete resolution in the sheathing were also noted by AOI on follow-up.

Conclusions: AOI can be used as an additional investigative tool for diagnosis and to monitor the disease course during the treatment.