Clinical Applications of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography provides an informative, up-to-date review of the numerous applications of OCTA in ophthalmology. This book highlights the ways in which this relatively recent non-invasive imaging technique has been an invaluable tool for our understanding of retinal, chorioretinal and optic disc disorders.
The text involves a collection of contributions from over 38 authors worldwide who are leaders in their respective fields. The large number of contributors has allowed for each chapter to be filled with expert knowledge from that area, making this book a uniquely valuable resource. Each chapter can be read individually as it includes a separate abstract and summary; useful if one is short on time. Subsequently however, this does hamper overall flow for the reader when reading from one short chapter to the next, as the writing style and area of focus differs frequently. The text therefore is not ideally suited for a ‘sit-down’ read, but works extremely well as a reference text for a variety of educational topics.
Many recent advances and well-known applications are covered, ranging from those for dry age-related macular degeneration, choroidal melanoma, and radiation retinopathy, to inherited retinal dystrophies and the use of OCTA in patients with type 1 diabetes without diabetic retinopathy.
The manuscript is illustrated with beautiful high-resolution images every three to four pages or so. There is detailed annotation and colour where required providing ease of understanding.
The book additionally covers the different types of commercially available OCTA machines, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The limitations for the technique are covered within each section, providing a balanced overview of the technology. In addition to clinical knowledge, some sections also address importance of human factors such as clinician training. Therefore, as well as being useful for clinical knowledge, the book may be helpful for clinicians in managerial roles considering implementation of the technology in their department.
The main drawbacks are the flow of the text and that it may not suit a beginner reader who is looking for a text that develops and builds on understanding of previous topics, as the book assumes a basic knowledge of imaging in ophthalmology.
Overall, it is an information-packed read, providing the reader with a high level of experienced knowledge that would otherwise be challenging to obtain in one source. The authors have done well to collate this into a succinct text. References are also provided at the end of each chapter providing easy access for further reading on each topic.
