Retinal Imaging with Optical Coherence Tomography

Retinal imaging utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology is the ability to take a picture of the internal layers of the eye. This picture helps to find out whether there is anything abnormal in the tissues such as macular degeneration, swelling (edema) due to hemorrhages or retinal detachments or macular holes.

OCT is a non-invasive investigation that produces a detailed high-resolution image of ocular structures in both anterior and posterior segments of the eye. It is used to assess the retina for diagnosis of existing pathology, monitoring disease activity and assessing response to treatment.

OCT also helps to detect features of disease activity, like retinal thickening, intra-retinal cysts, subretinal fluid, and choroidal neovascular membranes found in sub-retinal, and sub-retinal pigment epithelial space. The use of OCT in these conditions allows the differentiation between wet and dry AMD thus eliminating the need for more invasive testing such as fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. In other instances, OCT is a valuable precursor to these modalities.

Moreover, OCT provides structural information on the normal anatomy and disease features found in many retinal complications. It is used in the diagnosis and monitoring of such diseases like age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, choroidal vasculopathy, retinal vein occlusions, and pathological myopia.

At our Costco West location, we have OCT technology available to our patients that need it.  We offer a Retinal Imaging package to screen for early macular degeneration and other pathology.  This imaging package is $49 and it includes our Optomap imaging and OCT imaging of the macula both. We recommend this imaging package to all of our patients age 40+