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Fundus autofluorescence imaging in hereditary retinal diseases
Author(s) -
Pichi Francesco,
Abboud Emad B.,
Ghazi Nicola G.,
Khan Arif O.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/aos.13602
Subject(s) - autofluorescence , retinal pigment epithelium , retinal , lipofuscin , fluorescein angiography , medicine , ophthalmology , stargardt disease , fundus (uterus) , optical coherence tomography , retina , pathology , retinal disorder , biology , neuroscience , optics , fluorescence , physics
Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) is a non‐invasive retinal imaging modality used in clinical practice to non‐invasively map changes at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/photoreceptor complex and alterations of macular pigment distribution. This imaging method is based on the visualization of intrinsic fluorophores and may be easily and rapidly used in routine patient care. Excessive accumulation of lipofuscin granules in the lysosomal compartment of RPE cells represents a common downstream pathogenic pathway in various hereditary and complex retinal diseases. The clinical applications of FAF continue to expand. It is now an essential tool for evaluating macular dystrophies and various hereditary retinal disorders. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) may detect abnormalities beyond those detected on funduscopic examination, fluorescein angiography (FA) or optical coherence tomography (OCT). Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging is particularly helpful for differential diagnosis, detection and extent delineation of involved retinal areas, genotype‐phenotype correlations and monitoring of changes overtime. Given its ease of use, non‐invasive nature and value in characterizing retinal disease, FAF enjoys increasing clinical relevance. This review summarizes basic principles and FAF findings in various hereditary retinal diseases.