Detection of Choroidal Neovascularization Using Optical Tissue Transparency

PURPOSE: Optical tissue transparency (OTT) provides a tool for visualizing the entire tissue block. This study provides insights into the potential value of OTT with light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) in detecting choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesions. METHODS: OTT with LSFM, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of paraffin sections, choroidal flatmount immunofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) were used to obtain images of CNV. We determined the rate of change as (Data of week 1 – Data of week 2)/Data of week 1 × 100%. Finally, we compared the rate of change acquired from OTT with LSFM and the other methodologies. RESULTS: We found that OTT with LSFM can realize three-dimensional (3D) visualizations of the entire CNV. The results showed that the decline in the rate of change from week 1 to week 2 after laser photocoagulation was 33.05% with OTT, 53.01% with H&E staining, 48.11% with choroidal flatmount, 24.06% with OCTA (B-scan), 18.08% with OCTA (en face), 10.98% with OCTA (3D reconstruction), and 7.74% with OCTA (vessel diameter index). CONCLUSIONS: OTT with LSFM will continue to be an invaluable resource for investigators to detect more visualized and quantified information regarding CNV. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: OTT with LSFM now serves as a tool for detecting CNV in mice, and it may undergo human clinical trials in the future.