Abstract
BackgroundRecent advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology allow a more accurate choroidal visualization. The aim of this study is to provide histochemical analysis with induced fluorescence images of the choroidal stromal, vascular and nerve network, highlighting possible correspondences with OCT and OCT angiography (OCT-A) analysis.MethodsThe material examined with a histochemical process of induced fluorescence through condensation of biologically active monoamines with glyoxylic acid was obtained from 6 eyes enucleated for malignant melanoma and ciliary body neoplasia. The resulting images have been qualitatively compared with OCT and OCT-A choroidal images obtained from 10 volunteers, in order to identify possible relationships. Choriocapillary segmentation was performed automatically through the embedded analysis software, while segmentation of Sattler’s and Haller’s layers was performed through a manual method.ResultsHistochemical analysis provided accurate visualization of choroidal adrenergic innervation across all layers and its relationships with blood vessels and melanocytes. The above structures were not visualized at OCT and OCT-A which provided good visualization of blood vessels in Sattler’s and Haller’s layers as well-delimited hyporeflective areas. Decorrelation signal was not detected in OCT-A analysis due to low blood flow velocity in external choroidal layers.ConclusionsThe choroid is an extremely dynamic structure which deserves to be analyzed in vivo since it is involved in the pathogenesis of several ocular conditions. Direct evaluation of the activity of choroidal nerves and melanocytes is still not possible with OCT and OCT-A, even if they are capable of providing a satisfactory representation of choroidal vascularization.
Highlights
Recent advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology allow a more accurate choroidal visualization
The aim of this study is to provide histochemical analysis through induced fluorescence of the choroidal stromal, vascular and nerve network, highlighting possible correspondences between histological images and those observed on OCT and OCT angiography (OCT-A)
The aim of this study was to evaluate if the information provided by an ex-vivo modality could open novel perspectives that may be taken into consideration while approaching the study of choroidal vascularization with OCT angiography, which represents an in-vivo and noninvasive modality
Summary
Recent advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology allow a more accurate choroidal visualization. The aim of this study is to provide histochemical analysis with induced fluorescence images of the choroidal stromal, vascular and nerve network, highlighting possible correspondences with OCT and OCT angiography (OCT-A) analysis. The choroid is the largest vascular network of the eye. Besides being rich of blood vessels, it presents a large stroma of interlaced connective tissue, melanocytes and nerve fibers [1]. Choroidal innervation has been studied with several methods, including histochemical techniques. The choroid is innervated by short and long posterior ciliary nerves, which supply the choroidal amyelinated fibers and form an extended plexus [4]. Nerve fibers run along the muscular wall of choroidal arteries. Large nerves follow large vessels and free terminations are localized into arterial walls. An additional nerve network is located adjacent to the Bruch membrane
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