In vivo evaluation of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization in rats simultaneously using optical coherence tomography and photoacoustic microscopy

Abstract

Determination of the precise location and the degree of the Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesion is essential for diagnosation Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and evaluation the efficacy of treatment. Noninvasive imaging techniques with specific contrast for CNV evaluation are demanded. In this paper, two noninvasive imaging techniques, namely Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), are combined to provide specific detection of CNV for their complimentary contrast mechanisms. In vivo time-serial evaluation of Laser-induced CNV in rats is present at days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 after laser photocoagulation is applied to the rat fundus. Both OCT and PAM show that the CNV increases to its maximum at day 7 and decreases at day 14. Quantification of CNV area and CNV thickness is given. The dual-modal information of CNV is consistent with the histologic evaluation by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.