Fundus Autofluorescence Patterns Do Not Correlate With Development of Choroidal Neovascularization in Fellow Eyes of Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: : To analyse the patterns of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in the eyes of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the fellow eye and to correlate these patterns to the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

Methods: : Fifty-nine patients with unilateral CNV and early age-related maculopathy in the study eye have been followed in an ongoing observational, longitudinal study. These patients have a particularly high risk of developing neovascular AMD in the fellow eye, the study eye. Best corrected ETDRS visual acuity (VA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICG), fundus photography (FP) and retinal leakage analysis (RLA) were performed at baseline and every 6 months. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging was performed with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope following a standard protocol. FAF patterns were classified according to the International Fundus Autofluorescence Classification Group classification.

Results: : Fifty-seven eyes (29 men, 28 women) aged 56 to 92 years (mean 77.0 ± 6.6 years) had enough quality FAF images to be analysed.During follow-up (mean 14.0 ± 4.3 months), 7 of 57 eyes (12.3%) developed CNV: 1 of 15 eyes with patchy pattern, 1 of 14 eyes with minimal change pattern, 1 of 7 eyes with focal increased pattern, 2 of 8 eyes with reticular pattern, 1 of 3 eyes with lace-like and 1 of 2 with focal plaque-like patterns developed exudative changes. No eyes with speckled (7 eyes) or linear (1 eye) patterns developed CNV. No apparent correlation could be established between baseline FAF patterns and development of CNV.

Conclusions: : In our series no specific FAF pattern was associated with a higher risk of developing CNV in fellow eyes of patients with neovascular AMD.

Keywords: retina • neovascularization • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)