Early indicators of geographic atrophy identified in intermediate AMD using AI-Based OCT imaging
Thinning of photoreceptors and the outer nuclear layer, detectable via high-precision AI-based optical coherence tomography, serves as an early indicator of outer plexiform layer subsidence, which precedes geographic atrophy in intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD), according to a study.
The study involved 280 eyes from 140 participants with bilateral iAMD who were part of a multicenter clinical trial. Over a 36-month follow-up period, AI was used to segment and analyze changes in photoreceptor (PR) and outer nuclear layer thickness, drusen height, and choroidal hypertransmission. These measurements were taken every 6 months.
Outer plexiform layer subsidence occurred in 53 eyes from 43 participants; 36 of these eyes went on to develop retinal pigment epithelium and outer retinal atrophy. Before the onset of OPL subsidence, PR and ONL thicknesses were significantly thinner in areas of OPL subsidence compared to those with drusen or reference areas (PR: 20 µm vs 23 µm and 27 µm; ONL: 84 µm vs 94 µm and 98 µm). The study also noted accelerated thinning rates of PR (0.6 µm/month) and outer nuclear layer (0.8 µm/month) in regions of outer plexiform layer subsidence.
The study’s findings underscore the potential of AI to predict and quantify early morphological changes that precede the onset of GA.
Reference
Riedl S, Schmidt-Erfurth U, Rivail A, et al. Sequence of Morphological Changes Preceding Atrophy in Intermediate AMD Using Deep Learning. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2024;65(8):30. doi: 10.1167/iovs.65.8.30. PMID: 39028907.
This content is independent editorial sponsored by Astellas. Astellas had no input in the development of this content.
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