Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science Cover Image for Volume 59, Issue 9
July 2018
Volume 59, Issue 9
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   July 2018
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) in Retinitis Pigmentosa Reveals Inheritance-Dependent Phenotypic Variance
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Karl Andersen
    Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Lydia Sauer
    Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Ophthalmology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
  • Rebekah H Gensure
    Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  • Martin Hammer
    Ophthalmology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
  • Paul S Bernstein
    Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Karl Andersen, None; Lydia Sauer, None; Rebekah Gensure, None; Martin Hammer, None; Paul Bernstein, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  NIH Grants EY11600 and EY 14800; Research to Prevent Blindness
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science July 2018, Vol.59, 1567. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation

      Karl Andersen, Lydia Sauer, Rebekah H Gensure, Martin Hammer, Paul S Bernstein; Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) in Retinitis Pigmentosa Reveals Inheritance-Dependent Phenotypic Variance. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2018;59(9):1567.

      Download citation file:


      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose : Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) has recently emerged as a tool to metabolically characterize changes in retinal disease. In a prospective, cross-sectional study, we investigated fundus autofluorescence (FAF) lifetimes in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) to test the hypothesis that FLIO can uniquely characterize phenotypic imaging differences in various genetic subtypes of RP.

Methods : 33 patients (mean age 40.0 ± 17.0 years) with RP as well as an age-matched control group of 33 individuals were included in the study. The FLIO camera (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) was used to detect FAF decays in both a short (498-560 nm, SSC) and a long (560-720 nm, LSC) spectral channel. We investigated a 30° retinal field, and the mean fluorescence lifetime (tm) was calculated from a 3-exponential approximation. In addition to FLIO imaging, macular pigment measurements, macular OCT scans, fundus photographs, visual fields and fluorescein angiograms were recorded. Genetic studies were performed on all patients.

Results : FLIO shows a typical pattern of tm in patients with RP. In peripheral atrophic regions, tm is significantly prolonged (SSC 419 ± 195 ps; LSC 401 ± 111 ps) as compared to the same region in healthy eyes (SSC 265 ± 53 ps; LSC 282 ± 43 ps), p<0.001. Within the relatively preserved macular region, ring-shaped patterns are found in FAF intensity and lifetime images. They are most distinctive in patients with RP inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and in those with Usher Syndrome. Patients with autosomal recessive inheritance show a milder ring-like pattern, and those with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa show no ring pattern. Central areas corresponding to macular pigment remain relatively unaffected.

Conclusions : FLIO uniquely presents a distinct and specific signature in eyes affected with RP. These prominent ring-like patterns show inheritance-dependent variation in nearly all cases, which may be indicative of genetically-determined pathological processes. Hyperfluorescent rings with short FAF lifetimes may provide insight into disease status and help predict further progression of retinal atrophy.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.

 

Figure 1: General comparison of healthy and RP

Figure 1: General comparison of healthy and RP

×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×