Conjunctival optical coherence tomography angiography imaging in sickle cell maculopathy

Abstract

Purpose: To compare conjunctival and macular manifestations of sickle cell anemia using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Observations: OCTA imaging of the macula in two patients with HbSS and HbSC revealed areas of decreased vascular density, more prominent in the deep capillary plexus than in the superficial capillary plexus. Conjunctival OCTA of both affected patients revealed areas of reduced vascular density corresponding to the vascular abnormalities observed on slit lamp examination and prominent conjunctival flow voids when compared to an unaffected control. Conclusionsand Importance: OCTA allows for high resolution visualization of conjunctival findings present in sickle cell patients with macular vascular flow voids. Further studies are needed to explore the utility of conjunctival OCTA and the relationship between conjunctival and macular perfusion and systemic hemoglobinopathy.

Keywords

• Sickle cell retinopathy
• Optical coherence tomography angiography
• Conjunctival sign