Retinal Morphological Characterization of Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia) Using Optical Coherence Tomography and Histological Techniques.

First normative retinal measurements established for Collared Scops Owls using OCT.

This study establishes normative retinal imaging data for the Collared Scops Owl (Otus lettia), a nocturnal raptor species, using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and histopathological analysis. Ten eyes from six clinically healthy owls underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including OCT imaging and subsequent histological validation. Key retinal measurements were documented: pecten-foveal distance (5959.7 ± 147.45 μm), foveal width (656 ± 41.81 μm), foveal depth (65.3 ± 6.34 μm), total retinal thickness (299.8 ± 23.08 μm), neurosensory retinal thickness (272.9 ± 21.94 μm), and ganglion cell complex thickness (87.9 ± 6.24 μm). A single superior-temporal fovea was identified relative to the pecten. Histological examination confirmed all retinal layers and demonstrated strong correlation with OCT findings, validating the imaging methodology. These baseline morphological data represent the first comprehensive retinal characterization for this species and provide essential reference values for clinical assessment of ophthalmological disease in Collared Scops Owls and potentially other raptor species.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.