Figure 3.

SDOCT images (left) are correlated with historic representative light micrographs (right) at the vascular-avascular junction (A–D, white arrowhead with vascularized retina on the left side of the images) or adjacent to the vascular-avascular junction (E–G, posterior, and H, anterior) in eyes with ROP. A: Stage 0 ROP: in vascularized retina a faint hyporeflective band divided the inner retinal hyperreflective layer which gradually tapered to a single hyperreflective band in avascular retina. This was comparable to the normal angiogenesis pattern reported by Foos³¹ (adapted image), although the retinal layers were not as evident on OCT imaging compared to histopathology studies. B: Stage 1 ROP: a similar three-layered inner retina on the left gradually tapered to a one-layered structure in avascular retina. Similar to Foos³¹, the total thickness of the vascularized retina appeared to be greater than in stage 0 ROP.³¹ (also see Supplementary Table 1 thicknesses) C: Stage 2 ROP: pronounced thickening at the vascular-avascular junction was consistent with the ridge structure with hypertrophied anterior vanguard and posterior rear guard cells reported by Foos³¹. As with all OCT imaging, specific cellular elements could not be distinguished. D: Small neovascular buds, not noticed on clinical examination, could be seen on OCT in stage 2 ROP (asterisk). This was similar to the small elevations on the retinal surface observed by Reese,²⁸ which were presumed to be early endothelial proliferation. E, F: Stage 3 ROP: neovascular buds (E) and bands (F) frequented the preretinal surface. Their configurations were also consistent with neovascular findings reported by Reese.²⁸ G: Stage 4A ROP: there were schisis-like changes in the inner retinal layers posterior to the presumed area of retinal detachment. These schisis-like changes were often cavitary, and appeared similar to the large cystic spaces in the nerve fiber layer in later stages of proliferative disease reported by Kushner.³³ H: In stage 3 or 4 ROP, there was often diffuse thickening of the inner retinal layer of avascular retina. No correlating histopathology light micrograph was identified in our literature search.