Optical coherence tomography angiography as a surrogate marker for end-organ resuscitation in sepsis: A review

Abstract

Sepsis is a severe illness which results in alterations in the end organ microvascular haemodynamics and is associated with a high risk of mortality. There is currently no real-time method of monitoring microcirculatory perfusion during sepsis. Retinal microcirculation is closely linked to cerebral perfusion and may reflect systemic vascular alterations. Retinal perfusion can be assessed using the non-invasive imaging technique of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). This narrative review aims to discuss the utility of using retinal imaging and OCTA in systemic illness and sepsis. OCTA can be used as a functional, non-invasive and real-time biomarker along with other haemodynamic parameters for assessing and managing patients with sepsis.

Imaging microvascular changes in nonocular oncological clinical applications by optical coherence tomography angiography: a literature review

“…The distinct advantage of OCTA is that it is a noncontact, nonionizing, and noninvasive modality and does not require a contrast agent. OCTA has proven highly valuable in helping to better understand and manage a range of nononcological ocular pathologies 11,12,13 , while in oncological ocular clinical applications, OCTA has potential for use in the diagnosis and monitoring of chorioretinal pathologies, such as neovascularization and macular edema. 14 How valuable OCTA could be in quantifying microvascular changes in nonocular clinical oncology remains unclear, and to that end, we decided to systematically review the literature with the intention of exclusively focusing only on studies in which OCTA was performed on patients in the clinical oncology setting.…”