Abnormalitie of fundu autofluorecence in central erou retinopathy

PURPOE: To report abnormalitie of fundu autofluorecence aociated with acute and chronic central erou retinopathy (CR). DEIGN: A propective cohort tudy of patient with CR wa undertaken in which the intenity and patial ditribution of fundu autofluorecence were documented. METHOD: Fundu autofluorecence wa recorded uing a confocal laer canning ophthalmocope (cLO) and the image compared with the fundu appearance and fluorecein angiogram in 69 eye of 63 ubject with either acute or chronic CR. Area of increaed and decreaed autofluorecence were compared with ophthalmocopic and fluorecein angiography abnormalitie. Thirty patient with focal leakage on angiography and erou retinal detachment or pigment epithelial detachment were deignated a having acute CR. Thirty-three patient with diffue leakage on fluorecein angiography, but without manifet detachment were claified a having chronic CR. REULT: The mean age wa 39 year (range 29–56 year) 14 were female and 49 male. Acute CR of more than 4 month duration howed a mild diffue increae in autofluorecence that correponded with the detached area. The leaking point on the angiogram correponded to a focal area of intene autofluorecence. In chronic CR the autofluorecence wa very irregular, there being region with greater and le than the background level of fluorecence. CONCLUION: In acute CR, increaed autofluorecence may occur at the ite of leakage and in the area of retinal detachment probably indicating an increaed metabolic activity of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Decreaed or abent autofluorecence in long-tanding leion may indicate reduced metabolic activity of the RPE due to photoreceptor cell lo. Documenting photoreceptor cell lo with autofluorecence imaging may be ueful in identifying patient who would not benefit from laer photocoagulation.