Characteristics of cherry red spot on optical coherence tomography
Reviewed by Fiona Rowe

In this study the authors report optical coherence tomography (OCT) characteristics of cherry red spot from three cases of Tay-Sachs and one case of Niemann Pick diseases to determine associated factors and potential visual implications. This was a retrospective case study. All four cases presented with cherry red spot bilaterally on fundus examination. They had similar findings on OCT with sub foveal hyper reflective material, hyper reflective and thickened parafoveal nerve fibre layer and variable involvement of ganglion cells showing as thickening and hyper reflectivity on the ganglion cell layer (GCL). The authors conclude the quantification and GCL on OCT may be a good biomarker for visual function.

OCT findings in cherry-red spot: implications for understanding pathophysiology and visual prognosis.
Lee T, Velez FG, Galoyan N, et al.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY AND STRABISMUS
2023;60:435–40.