Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has recently been introduced in the operating theatre. The aim of this review is to present the actual role of microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography (MI-OCT) in ophthalmology. Method: A total of 314 studies were identified, following a literature search adhering to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After full-text evaluation, 81 studies discussing MI-OCT applications in ophthalmology were included. Results: At present, three microscope-integrated optical coherence tomography systems are commercially available. MI-OCT can help anterior and posterior segment surgeons in the decision-making process, providing direct visualization of anatomic planes before and after surgical manoeuvres, assisting in complex cases, and detecting or confirming intraoperative complications. Applications range from corneal transplant to macular surgery, including cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, paediatric examination, proliferative diabetic retinopathy surgery, and retinal detachment surgery. Conclusion: The use of MI-OCT in ophthalmic surgery is becoming increasingly prevalent and has been applied in almost all procedures. However, there are still limitations to be overcome and the technology involved remains difficult to access and use.

Purpose: To investigate whether the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-associated postponement in care had effects on the baseline clinical presentation of patients with newly diagnosed treatment-naïve exudative neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: We included the first 50 consecutive patients referred within the COVID-19 pandemic with a diagnosis of treatment-naïve exudative neovascular AMD. Two groups of fifty consecutive patients with newly diagnosed neovascular exudative AMD presenting in 2018 and 2019 (control periods) were also included for comparisons. Results: Baseline visual acuity was statistically worse in patients referred during the COVID-19 pandemic period (0.87 ± 0.51 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR)) as compared with both the “2019” (0.67 ± 0.48 LogMAR, p = 0.001) and “2018” (0.69 ± 0.54 LogMAR, p = 0.012) control periods. Data on the visual function after a loading dose of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was available in a subset of patients (43 subjects in 2020, 45 in 2019 and 46 in 2018, respectively). Mean ± SD best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the 1-month follow-up visit after the third anti-VEGF injection was still worse in patients referred during the COVID-19 pandemic (0.82 ± 0.66 LogMAR) as compared with both the “2019” (0.60 ± 0.45 LogMAR, p = 0.021) and “2018” (0.55 ± 0.53 LogMAR, p = 0.001) control periods. On structural optical coherence tomography (OCT), the maximum subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) height and width were significantly greater in the COVID-19 pandemic patients. Conclusions: We demonstrated that patients with newly diagnosed treatment-naïve exudative neovascular AMD referred during the COVID-19 pandemic had worse clinical characteristics at presentation and short-term visual outcomes.

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a complex and not entirely understood retinal disease. The aim of our research was to describe a novel optical coherence tomography (OCT) finding named “choroidal rift”, which may be identified in the choroid of eyes with CSC. We collected data from 357 patients (488 eyes) with CSC who had structural OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) scans obtained. Choroidal rifts were identified as polygonal (and not round-shaped) hyporeflective lesions without hyperreflective margins. Choroidal rifts had to be characterized by a size superior to that of the largest choroidal vessel. Finally, hyporeflective lesions were graded as choroidal rifts only if these lesions had a main development perpendicular to the retinal pigment epithelium. OCT analysis allowed the identification of choroidal rifts in ten eyes from nine patients, all with chronic CSC, with an estimated prevalence rate of 2.1%. In three out of ten cases with choroidal rifts, these lesions spanned all the choroidal layers. In the remaining cases, choroidal rifts only partially spanned the choroidal thickness. In OCTA, choroidal rifts were characterized by the absence of flow. Combining structural OCT and OCTA information, we hypothesized that choroidal rifts may represent interruptions of the choroidal stroma in correspondence of fragile regions (in between expanded larger-sized choroidal vessels). Choroidal rift represents a novel OCT feature, which may characterize eyes with chronic CSC and may have a role in the development of irreversible chorio-retinal changes.