
3D OCT – What is it and is it necessary? By Optometrist Amy Ogden

What is an OCT?


Why is this important?
Our retina has 10 layers; Inner limiting membrane Retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) Ganglion cell layer Inner plexiform layer Inner nuclear layer Outer plexiform layer Outer nuclear layer External limiting membrane Photoreceptor layer Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)The Volk lens
When I’m using my Volk lens (when you sit at the microscope), or my ophthalmoscope (when I use the hand-held microscope and get quite close), I can’t see all of these layers; I can’t see them all when I take a picture of the back of the eye with the fundus camera either. I can understand at this point if you’re wondering why this matters, what does it matter if I can’t see the photoreceptor layer? Or the retinal pigment epithelium? It is always useful to see these layers, even if they are healthy, to be sure they are and to have a baseline to refer to further down the line.
What can OCT test for?
