Long-Term Follow-Up of Fundus Autofluorescence Imaging Using Wide-Field Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy

To evaluate the variation of peripheral alterations in different retinal diseases over a period of >3 years by using wide-field fundus autofluorescence (FAF) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO).

A total of 26 eyes from 13 patients (median age 66 years, range 19-80) with age-related macular degeneration and other retinal degenerations were examined. In 2009, the Optos P200CAF prototype and from 2012 onwards, the Optos 200Tx (Optos plc, Scotland) were used for wide-field FAF SLO (excitation 532 nm).

The area involvement in outer retinal pathological alterations, such as atrophy and mottling of the retinal pigment epithelium far beyond the vascular arcades, was readily and better visualized within one image frame using wide-field FAF as compared to pseudocolor SLO of the same device. Over time, progression of existing and the development of de novo peripheral lesions were recorded with a concomitant enlargement of central lesions. In two cases (unilateral paravenous pigmented choroidal atrophy and suspected phenocopy of retinal dystrophy), no longitudinal changes of the topographic distribution of peripheral FAF intensities were noted.

Wide-field FAF SLO allows the mapping of dynamic changes at the outer retina far beyond the vascular arcades. While its ability to detect and monitor these changes appears to be better than that of pseudocolor imaging, wide-field FAF SLO may not only be helpful to assess more widespread retinal dysfunction, but may also be useful for longitudinal assessments in natural history studies and interventional clinical trials.