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Using optical coherence tomography to elucidate the impact of fixation on retinal laser pathology

Publication ,  Chapter
McCall, MN; Harkrider, CJ; Deramo, V; Bailey, SF; Winter, KP; Rockwell, BA; Stolarski, D; Toth, CA
January 1, 2001

Purpose: The direct comparison of in-vivo OCT images with fixed tissue sections assumes the fixation of tissue has no effect on the size and configuration of final pathology images such as light micrographs. Fixation artifact has been a concern in numerous studies of the pathology of retinal laser lesions. We tested this hypothesis. Methods: The Humphrey OCT model 2000 with a custom mirror and lens assembly was used to scan tissue phantoms and both fresh and fixed ex-vivum tissue samples. The optical configuration was determined by optimization of the contrast and signal strength on tissue phantoms. Fresh porcine retinas were scanned using this optimal configuration, then fixed using either glutaraldehyde or formalin. OCT images were taken of the tissue at various stages during the fixation process. Additionally, we examinem fixed retinal tissue containing retinal laser lesions as a part of our study of ultrashort-pulsed laser effects on the macacca mulatta retina. Histologic sections were prepared and evaluated. Results: In this presentation, we describe our optical setup and image optimization process and assess the effects of glutaraldehyde and formalin processing on OCT image quality. The OCT images of glutaraldehyde-fixed laser lesions are compared with similar images of laser lesions in-vivo. Fixation artifacts appeared on OCT at 2 to 24 hours. Opacification of the lumen of large vessels was seen at 2 hours with both glutaraldehyde and formalin, while fixation induced retinal detachment appeared at 24 hours. Overall, there was a greater delineation of the laser lesions by OCT at 24 hours when compared to at 1 or 2 hours of fixation. This appeared to be, in part, due to the focal separation of tissue layers induced by fixation. Conclusions: Fixation induced changes in OCT scans of retinal tissue are present as early as 2 hours after immersion in fixative. Although both glutaraldehyde and formalin fixation preserve much of the tissue structure, these method of fixation have a significant effect on OCT imaging of both normal retinal tissue and laser lesions.

Duke Scholars

DOI

Publication Date

January 1, 2001

Volume

4257

Start / End Page

142 / 148

Related Subject Headings

  • 5102 Atomic, molecular and optical physics
  • 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
  • 4006 Communications engineering
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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McCall, M. N., Harkrider, C. J., Deramo, V., Bailey, S. F., Winter, K. P., Rockwell, B. A., … Toth, C. A. (2001). Using optical coherence tomography to elucidate the impact of fixation on retinal laser pathology (Vol. 4257, pp. 142–148). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.434698
McCall, M. N., C. J. Harkrider, V. Deramo, S. F. Bailey, K. P. Winter, B. A. Rockwell, D. Stolarski, and C. A. Toth. “Using optical coherence tomography to elucidate the impact of fixation on retinal laser pathology,” 4257:142–48, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.434698.
McCall MN, Harkrider CJ, Deramo V, Bailey SF, Winter KP, Rockwell BA, et al. Using optical coherence tomography to elucidate the impact of fixation on retinal laser pathology. In 2001. p. 142–8.
McCall, M. N., et al. Using optical coherence tomography to elucidate the impact of fixation on retinal laser pathology. Vol. 4257, 2001, pp. 142–48. Scopus, doi:10.1117/12.434698.
McCall MN, Harkrider CJ, Deramo V, Bailey SF, Winter KP, Rockwell BA, Stolarski D, Toth CA. Using optical coherence tomography to elucidate the impact of fixation on retinal laser pathology. 2001. p. 142–148.

DOI

Publication Date

January 1, 2001

Volume

4257

Start / End Page

142 / 148

Related Subject Headings

  • 5102 Atomic, molecular and optical physics
  • 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
  • 4006 Communications engineering