Visible-Light Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography for Monitoring Laser-Induced Choroidal Neovascularization in Mice

PURPOSE: This study sought to determine the earliest time-point at which evidence of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) could be detected with visible-light optical coherence tomography angiography (vis-OCTA) in a mouse model of laser-induced CNV. METHODS: Visible light-OCTA was used to study laser-induced CNV at different time-points after laser injury to monitor CNV development and measure CNV lesion size. Measurements obtained from vis-OCTA angiograms were compared with histopathologic measurements from isolectin-stained choroidal flatmounts. RESULTS: Choroidal neovascularization area measurements between the vis-OCTA system and isolectin-stained choroidal flatmounts were significantly different in area for days 2 to 4 postlaser injury, and were not significantly different in area for days 5, 7, and 14. Choroidal neovascularization area measurements taken from the stained flatmounts were larger than their vis-OCTA counterparts for all time-points. Both modalities showed a similar trend of CNV size increasing from the day of laser injury until a peak of day 7 postlaser injury and subsequently decreasing by day 14. CONCLUSIONS: The earliest vis-OCTA can detect the presence of aberrant vessels in a mouse laser-induced CNV model is 5 days after laser injury. Visible light-OCTA was able to visualize the maximum of the CNV network 7 days postlaser injury, in accordance with choroidal flatmount immunostaining. Visible light-OCTA is a reliable tool in both detecting the presence of CNV development, as well as accurately determining the size of the lesion in a mouse laser-induced CNV model.