Title
ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING IN TREATED OCULAR SYPHILIS
Introduction
To analyse through imaging acquired with adaptive optics (AO) the macular cone mosaic after treatment for ocular syphilis.
Methods
Using the RTX1 AO Flood Illuminated Camera (Imagine Eyes, version 2.0), images were collected in 51 eyes from 32 patients after adequate treatment for syphilis. 17 eyes had images considered suitable for further analyses. Analyses consisted of mean cone density, distribution of the cones mosaic in terms of the neighborhood (% of cells with 6 neighbors) and cone spacing (average center to center distance between 2 adjacent cones). Cone counting was performed in different arbitrary regions of interest to allow comparable results with published data from healthy subjects.
Results
Considering a 90 x 90µm square, placed 1,5º nasal from the fovea. The mean cone density of 16 eyes was 11,28 ± 5,52cells/mm2. Cone spacing was 11.84 ± 4.56µm, and the portion of cells with 6 neighbors was 37.50 ± 6.91%. A sample size of 64 x 64µm, located 1,5º superior from the foveal center. Mean cone density of 16 eyes was 14,38 ± 4,96cells/mm2. Cone spacing was 10.10 ± 4.20µm, and the portion of cells with 6 neighbors was 33.43 ± 8.91%. Considering the mean value of a 100 x 100µm square, located 75µm superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal from the foveal center. Mean cone density of 10 eyes was 9,51 ± 4,88 cells/mm2. Cone spacing was 14.70 ± 5.33µm, and the portion of cells with 6 neighbors was 38.68 ± 7.49%. The comparison between means cone densities of the eyes that had had clinical manifestation (12 eyes) and those that had not (4 eyes) in the 90 µm and the 64 µm square demonstrated that the former group had lower values (mean 9,68 ± 4,35cells/mm2 and 13,14 ± 4,41cells/mm2 versus 16,09 ± 2,50cells/mm2 and 18,10 ± 5,21cells/mm2, respectively).
Discussion
The study identified abnormal cone mosaic in patients treated for syphilis. Further longitudinal studies, with functional and structural tests, are encouraged to better understand this condition.
Keywords
adaptive optics, ocular syphilis, cone mosaic, cone density
Area
CLINICAL CASE
Authors
Annelise Nicotti Gonçalves, Leandro Jerez Chaves, Milena Simões Freitas e Silva, Rodrigo Jorge, Renata Moreto, André Messias, Justine R Smith, João Marcello Fortes Furtado