Updates on novel and traditional OCT and OCTA biomarkers in nAMD

Abstract

Predictivity of optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination for the development of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) was demonstrated to be superior compared to other methods, suggesting it as an elective method for screening purposes. Moreover, OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) have enabled us to provide accurate prognostic information to nAMD patients. Along with well-known prognostic biomarkers, such as the presence of reticular pseudodrusen, the volume of the pigment epithelial detachment (PED), subretinal fluid (SRF), intraretinal fluid (IRF) and hyperreflective foci (HRF), emerging parameters show promising results and may allow a further refinement of prediction and customization of treatment and follow up strategies. This review of the literature discusses the main OCT and OCTA biomarkers reported in literature for nAMD, with a special focus on recent updates on the subject. Future perspectives of clinical applications include the development of artificial intelligence models considering all the described biomarkers to allow automatic and detailed characterization of each lesion based on imaging information.