Optical Coherence Tomography in Ophthalmology: Advanced Diagnostics and Intraoperative Applications
A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Imaging and Theranostics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 751
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive optical imaging technology that has significantly advanced ophthalmic diagnostics and surgical assessment since its introduction in the early 1990s. This technology provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of ocular structures, enabling detailed visualization of the retina, choroid, and anterior segment. OCT has become an essential tool for diagnosing and managing a variety of retinal and choroidal diseases, including macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucom. Advancements in OCT, such as spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT), swept-source OCT (SS-OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), adaptive optics OCT (AO-OCT), visible light OCT (VL-OCT), and intraoperative OCT (iOCT), have further enhanced its clinical utility. Furthermore, the development of iOCT systems, including handheld and microscope-mounted devices, has begun to revolutionize surgical guidance by providing real-time, depth-resolved imaging during ophthalmic procedures. This Special Issue will explore the latest innovations in OCT technology and its expanding applications in both advanced ophthalmic diagnosis and precise intraoperative assessment.
The scope of this Special Issue will encompass, but not be limited to, the following areas:
1. Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities of OCT:
- High-resolution imaging: Novel techniques for enhancing image quality and resolution in retinal and choroidal imaging.
- Functional OCT: Developments in OCTA for non-invasive visualization of retinal and choroidal vasculature, including quantification of vessel density and blood flow. Also, advances in polarization-sensitive OCT (PS-OCT), AO-OCT, VL-OCT for characterizing tissue properties.
- Early disease detection and progression monitoring for ocular and systemic diseases: Applications of OCT in diagnosing and monitoring conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and some neurology diseases.
- Anterior segment OCT: Innovations in imaging the cornea, anterior chamber, iris, and lens for diagnosing various anterior ocular segment pathologies.
2. Intraoperative Applications and Surgical Guidance:
- Real-time imaging during surgery: Advances in microscope-mounted and handheld OCT systems for providing real-time, depth-resolved feedback during ophthalmic surgical procedures.
- Assessment of surgical maneuvers: Utilization of iOCT to visualize and analyze ultrastructural alterations during delicate procedures like macular hole surgery, subretinal injection, and retinal detachment repair.
- Planning and outcome assessment: Use of OCT for 3D planning of surgical procedures and assessing outcomes before the patient leaves the operating room.
3. Emerging Technologies and Future Directions:
- Wide-field OCT, AO-OCT, and full-field OCT: Exploration of these advanced modalities and their clinical utility.
- Integration with artificial intelligence (AI): Development of AI algorithms for enhanced image analysis, automated disease detection, and prediction of treatment outcomes.
- Portable and at-home OCT systems: Advancements in devices for remote monitoring and increased patient accessibility.
- Challenges and limitations: Discussion of current challenges such as penetration depth, cost, and the need for standardized clinical protocols.
Dr. Xiaogang Wang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- optical coherence tomography
- retinal diseases
- glaucoma
- intraoperative imaging
- surgical guidance
- diagnostic imaging
- vascular imaging
- anterior segment
- microvasculature
- blood flow
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