Retinal Reflectivity Measurement for Cone Impairment Estimation and Visual Assessment After Diabetic Macular Edema Resolution (RECOVER-DME).

Purpose: Photoreceptor loss has been suspected of being involved in incomplete visual recovery after diabetic macular edema (DME) resolution. Recent studies have shown that cone density in the perifoveal area could be estimated by in vivo measurements of the outer retinal reflectivity on optical coherence tomography (OCT). The main objective of this study was to assess the photoreceptor layer reflectivity after DME resolution and to determine its relationship with final visual acuity (VA).

Quantitative analysis of photoreceptor layer reflectivity on en-face optical coherence tomography as an estimator of cone density.

Background: To investigate whether outer retinal reflectivity on en-face Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be considered as an estimator of cone density measured in the same area.

Methods: Forty-one points of comparisons were studied in 9 eyes (n = 6 patients) presenting maculopathies with various degrees of impairment of the photoreceptor layer. The inner segment ellipsoid zone (EZ), interdigitation zone (IZ), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) reflectivity were measured on coronal reconstruction of the photoreceptor layer using homemade dedicated software (Matlab, MathWorks Inc.