Retinal Layer Reflectivity and Thickness as OCT Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Imaging-Based Stratification Relative to the 4.5-Hour Window in Acute Central Retinal Artery Occlusion - Takeaways - MDSpire

Retinal Layer Reflectivity and Thickness as OCT Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Imaging-Based Stratification Relative to the 4.5-Hour Window in Acute Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

  • By

  • Walter, Alessandra

  • Wenzel, Daniel A.

  • Poli, Sven

  • Druchkiv, Vasyl

  • Beuse, Ansgar

  • Schultheiss, Maximilian

  • Spitzer, Martin

  • Bartz-Schmidt, Karl Ulrich

  • Grohmann, Carsten

  • April 6, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    OCT-derived retinal layer reflectivity and thickness are effective diagnostic biomarkers for acute central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

  • 2

    The study involved 39 patients with unilateral acute non-arteritic CRAO, imaged within 48 hours of symptom onset.

  • 3

    The IRL/ORL reflectivity ratio distinguished CRAO-affected eyes from fellow eyes with high diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.98-0.99).

  • 4

    Retinal thickness increased in CRAO eyes across ETDRS sectors, with diagnostic performance varying significantly (AUC 0.78-0.99).

  • 5

    Quantitative OCT metrics may improve acute stroke triage and telemedicine workflows, pending further validation in unknown-onset CRAO cases.

Original Source(s)

Retinal Layer Reflectivity and Thickness as OCT Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Imaging-Based Stratification Relative to the 4.5-Hour Window in Acute Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

  • by Walter, Alessandra , Wenzel, Daniel A., Poli, Sven , Druchkiv, Vasyl , Beuse, Ansgar , Schultheiss, Maximilian , Spitzer, Martin , Bartz-Schmidt, Karl Ulrich, Grohmann, Carsten

  • April 6, 2026

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