Comparison of Fundus Autofluorescence in Age–Related Macular Degeneration Between Fundus Camera and Confocal Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope Photographs

Abstract

Purpose: : To investigate the difference of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) characteristics in the photographs taken with a fundus camera and those with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope in patients with age–related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: : One hundred thirty six eyes of 87 patients with AMD were examined. Photographs of FAF were taken using a Topcon TRC–50X fundus camera (Paramus, NJ) (Topcon) and a Heidelberg retina angiogram (Heidelberg Engineering) (HRA). For HRA, averaging of sequential FAF photographs was done for noise reduction.

Results: : Sufficient quality of FAF photographs was obtained using both systems in 96 eyes of the 136 eyes. In all the 96 eyes, the optic disks and the macula appeared hypofluorescent with HRA and isofluorescent with Topcon. Some difference in FAF was noted in 58 eyes of the 96 eyes. Choroidal vessels, which were invisible with HRA, appeared hyperfluorescent in 9 eyes with Topcon. Regions of serous retinal detachment, which had been seen in 31 eyes, showed hyperfluorescence with both systems. However, the hyperfluorescence was more intense in 18 eyes with Topcon than with HRA, and reversely in 8 eyes with HRA. In 2 eyes of 5 eyes with serous retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED), regions around PEDs showed hypofluorescence with HRA, but hyperfluorescence with Topcon. Regions around retinal atrophy, which had seen in 41 eyes, showed hyperfluorescence in 21 eyes with both systems and in 5 eyes only with HRA.

Conclusions: : There were some differences in FAF between photographs taken with Topcon and with HRA. Some attention needs to be paid to an optical characteristic of the used system for interpretation of FAF.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • retina • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: systems/equipment/techniques