Abstract
The appearance of fluorescein in the fundus of albino and pigmented rabbits was documented using a wide-angle fundus camera. Serial photographs were taken during decrease of intraocular pressure from levels above systolic ophthalmic artery pressure. In all the albino rabbits, the fluorescein first appeared in the choroid and only later in the retinal vessels. Contrary to this, in all the pigmented rabbits the dye seemed to appear in the retinal vessels before any choroidal fluorescence could be detected. This difference in the filling pattern is caused by retinal and choroidal pigments, which mask the choroidal circulation in pigmented animals. The simultaneous photoelectric recording of dilution curves after injection of a mixture of fluorescein and indocyanine green further confirmed that this differential appearance time does not have any hemodynamic significance, but is a purely physical phenomenon.