Optical coherence tomography angiography of foveal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of foveal neovascularization in a patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy as seen on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). Methods: Multimodal imaging was used for diagnostic investigation. Patient: A 61-year-old male with a 16-year history of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was referred to our medical retina department for examination and management. Meticulous fundus examination and multimodal imaging revealed proliferative diabetic retinopathy lesions, including neovascularization located in the foveal area. Results: OCT-A allowed us to detect the neovascular lesion, confirm that it originated from perifoveal capillaries, estimate its retinal depth, and evaluate the vessel blood flow in multiple layers. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of OCT-A imaging of foveal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy. OCT-A is a very useful examination for the diagnostic investigation of patients with diabetic retinopathy.