ASSOCIATION OF PREVASCULAR VITREOUS FISSURES AND CISTERNS WITH VITREOUS DEGENERATION AS ASSESSED BY SWEPT SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY.

Abstract

To demonstrate the presence of prevascular vitreous fissures (PVF) and posterior vitreous cisterns in vivo and correlate with the degree of vitreous degeneration (VD). This was a cross-sectional study using Topcon Deep Range Imaging OCT-1 Atlantis 3D swept source optical coherence tomography for acquiring scans of posterior vitreous covering an 18 × 18-mm area in 104 eyes of 52 healthy volunteers without posterior vitreous detachment. We observed that increasing age was associated with higher VD grades (P < 0.05). Prevascular vitreous fissures, characterized by areas of lower optical density overlying the retinal blood vessels, were identified in 93 (89%) eyes, and the presence of PVF correlated with lower VD grades (P < 0.05). Presence of cisterns correlated with higher VD grades (P < 0.05). All eyes with absence of PVF were found to have established cisterns. Prevascular vitreous fissures were connected with cisterns in 44 of the 71 (62%) eyes with cisterns, while the base of the cistern was directly above retinal blood vessels in 38 (54%) eyes, which suggests that the cisterns could be derived from PVF. Swept source optical coherence tomography imaging can identify PVF and cisterns occurring in the context of age-related VD, and PVF appeared to be possible precursors of cisterns.