Different foveal schisis patterns in each retinal layer in eyes with hereditary juvenile retinoschisis evaluated by en-face optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze the structures of schisis in eyes with hereditary juvenile retinoschisis using en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the medical records of patients with hereditary juvenile retinoschisis who underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations including swept-source OCT.

Results: OCT images were obtained from 16 eyes of nine boys (mean age ± standard deviation, 10.6 ± 4.0 years). The horizontal OCT images at the fovea showed inner nuclear layer (INL) schisis in one eye (6.3 %), ganglion cell layer (GCL) and INL schisis in 12 eyes (75.0 %), INL and outer plexiform layer (OPL) schisis in two eyes (12.5 %), and GCL, INL, and OPL schisis in one eye (6.3 %). En-face OCT images showed characteristic schisis patterns in each retinal layer, which were represented by multiple hyporeflective holes in the parafoveal region in the GCL, a spoke-like pattern in the foveal region, a reticular pattern in the parafoveal region in the INL, and multiple hyporeflective polygonal cavities with partitions in the OPL.

Conclusions: Our results using en-face OCT imaging clarified different patterns of schisis formation among the GCL, INL, and OPL, which lead to further recognition of structure in hereditary juvenile retinoschisis.

Keywords: En-face optical coherence tomography; Ganglion cell layer; Inner nuclear layer; Outer nuclear layer; Retinoschisis; Swept-source optical coherence tomography.