Optical Coherence Tomography

C ross-sectional imaging of biological tissue microstruc- ture using optical backscattering was first demonstrated in 1991. 1 The technique, known as optical coherence tomography (OCT), uses low-coherence interferometry to produce a 2-dimensional image of optical scattering from tissues in a way that resembles pulse-echo imaging in ultrasound.Huang et al 1 revealed promising clinical and research applications with their in vitro demonstrations of this novel imaging technique in both the peripapillary area of the retina and the coronary arteries.][4][5] Collaboration between this pioneering group and the New England Eye Center has led to its routine use in ophthalmologic diagnostics and its subsequent commercial availability in 1996. 6ecent advancements in OCT technology have broadened its application to retinal vasculature and nontransparent tissues. 7-10OCT angiography has permitted noninvasive evaluation of retinal vascular abnormalities ranging from detecting neovascularization to quantifying ischemia. 115][26][27] The recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of OCT for intravascular imaging has provided an unprecedented level of detail, on the micron level, in the evaluation of vascular pathologies that involve individual vessel wall layers. 28This has also sparked interest in the translation of the technology into the field of neuroendovascular surgery, where OCT data have the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and management of stroke, aneurysms, and other cerebrovascular pathologies.