Doppler OCT verifies pulsation-induced anisotropic vessel lumen dynamics in the human retina.

This study verifies anisotropic vessel pulsatility in human retinas. Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) was utilized for dynamic monitoring of peripapillary vessel lumen dynamics. Quantitative analysis consistently revealed larger axial compared to lateral lumen changes, with an axial-to-lateral pulsation change ratio of 1.26 ± 0.08. These findings highlight the anisotropic biomechanical properties of retinal tissues, which contribute to direction-dependent vascular dynamics. Quantitative assessment of anisotropic vascular biomechanics offers promising insights for improving the detection of vascular alterations associated with ocular conditions.