Abstract
Purpose:
To compare the sensitivity of the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO) and the modified fundus camera (FC) in detecting retinal vessels printings (RVPs), associated to different vitreoretinal pathologies, in fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images.
Methods:
prospective observational case series. Eyes with macular pucker (n= 24), with lamellar macular hole associated to epiretinal membrane (n=9), and operated on for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with vitrectomy and gas (n=27) were included into the study. Fifty degrees FAF images were taken with the cSLO Heidelberg retina angiograph (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) that uses a 488 nm laser for excitation and a >500 nm barrier filter and the Topcon NW8F FC (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan) that uses a 535-580 nm filter for excitation and a 615-715 nm barrier filter. Only pseudophakic eyes or eyes with mild to moderate (AREDS classification grade 1-3) were admitted. The following scores were attributed, by three different graders, to the images on the basis of the visualization of the RVPs: 0 = RVPs not visible, 1= RVPs barely visible, 2 = RVPs easily visible.
Results:
Retinal vessel printings were detected in 27 eyes. Indipendently from the lens status, the RVPs were more readily visible using the FC than the cSLO. Mean ± (SD) scores were 1.65 ± 0.48 and 1.19 ± 0.4 in the FC and in the cSLO group respectively (P>0.001). However only in one case the RVPs were detected exclusively by the FC, while in the remaining 26 eyes they were visualized by both instruments. Interobserver variability for the evaluation of the RVPs visualization was not significant.
Conclusions:
Retinal vessel printings associated to macular pucker, lamellar hole with epiretinal membranes and repaired retinal detachment can be visualized using both, the modified FC and the cSLO. In the images obtained with the FC, the RVPs are, in general, more easily visible in comparison to images recorded with the cSLO. The differences in the excitation and barrier wavelengths may probably explain the differences between the resulting FAF images.
Keywords: 697 retinal detachment •
552 imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) •
701 retinal pigment epithelium