Ultra-wide-field scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography in FEVR: findings and its diagnostic ability

Background/Aims To describe some novel vitreoretinal microstructural findings in patients with mild familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) on ultra-wide-field scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (UWF-SLO) and UWF optical coherence tomography (UWF-OCT) and to evaluate their clinical significance. Methods A total of 32 patients and 32 healthy controls were studied. An additional independent 40 FEVR patients, 44 patients with non-FEVR retinopathies and 40 healthy controls participated in a diagnostic test to validate the abilities of novel findings in FEVR screening. Results A novel anatomic change, named Temporal Mid-Peripheral Vitreoretinal Interface Abnormality (TEMPVIA), was found on UWF-SLO in 88.3% of FEVR patients and in none of the healthy controls. The clinical significance of TEMPVIA was further validated by a diagnostic test in new independent cases, with satisfying sensitivity (91.5%) and specificity (98.8%) and Youden Index 0.90. In addition to foveal hypoplasia, some previously unrecognised, novel clinical changes in FEVR, for instance, retinoschisis, focal retinal thickening, sudden thinning of the retina and retinal ridge, were identified using UWF-OCT. Conclusion The results of this study have led to an update of the clinical spectrum of FEVR and have improved our understanding of its pathogenesis. TEMPVIA is therefore suggested to be a useful biomarker in the screening strategy for mild FEVR.