When a fundus autofluorescence (FAF) image is being evaluated, any deviation from a normal recording should be recognized, and a potential cause should be sought for the abnormal findings. The ...characteristics of a FAF image without disease-related abnormalities include the following (see Fig. 8.1, top row):
Autofluorescence Imaging Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; Fleckenstein, Monika; Spaide, Richard ...
Medical Retina
Book Chapter
Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging allows for noninvasive metabolic mapping of intrinsic retinal fluorophores in vivo.These fluorophores accumulate chiefly in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), ...but in certain pathological conditions they can also accumulate in the outer retina or subretinal space.Both the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and the modified fundus camera permit to record FAF in the clinical setting; although, the composition of the detected autofluorescent signal may vary between both systems.FAF findings are useful for the identification of early disease stages and phenotyping. They may serve as disease markers and for monitoring disease progression.Several FAF findings topographically correlate with retinal dysfunction.For future applications, FAF imaging may be helpful in the development and assessment of new therapeutic strategies. The combination of FAF imaging with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in one instrument is helpful to further investigate the origin of the FAF signal.
The aim of this chapter is to give a brief overview of obtaining fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images with the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO) and to illustrate some common pitfalls ...that can occur during image acquisition.
It is well established that autofluorescent material accumulates in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in many macular and retinal dystrophies and that the extracellular deposits may also ...fluoresce. However, until recently information has been limited because observations have been made as a result of histological studies alone. It is unknown whether variance in fundus autofluorescence (FAF) is consistent from one condition to another, and the time course of the accumulation of autofluorescent material has not been documented. Given that many disorders are involved that are presumed to have different underlying defects, some variation might be expected from one condition to another. It is evident that in-vivo recording of RPE autofluorescence would allow many more observations to be made and that recording lipofuscin accumulation may give important clues as to the pathogenesis and progress of a number of retinal diseases.
Geographic atrophy (GA) represents the atrophic late-stage manifestation of “dry” age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is characterised by the development of atrophic patches that may initially ...occur in the parafoveal area 3, 13, 16, 23. During the natural course of the disease, atrophy slowly enlarges over time, and the fovea itself is typically not involved until later (“foveal sparing”, see Fig 12.3).
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a complex disease with both genetic and environmental factors, has become the most common cause of legal blindness in industrialised countries 4, 7–9, 12, 17. ...The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the disease process are still incompletely understood, but a key role in the disease process has been attributed to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
Macular Degeneration, Age-related Scholl, Hendrik P. N.; Issa, Peter Charbel; Fleckenstein, Monika ...
Encyclopedia of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease
Book Chapter
Toward Molecular Imaging Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; Cordeiro, M. Francesca; Fitzke, Fred W. ...
Medical Retina
Book Chapter
Molecular imaging is a relatively new field that aims at the visualization and follow-up of cellular dysfunction of molecular disease mechanisms in living organisms.Early recognition of malfunction ...and direct visualization of pharmacodynamics may result in optimization of therapeutic strategies and better treatment success. Furthermore, enhanced diagnosis may also have a major economic impact.The key element of molecular imaging is the use of biomarkers. These reporting molecules are used as probes to help image and detect particular targets or pathways.In ophthalmology, molecular imaging has already been successfully applied in several animal models, using both exogenous and endogenous fluorescent probes.
Ophthalmic imaging technology has revolutionized fundus examination. FAF imaging represents one of various novel tools and provides information over and above fundus photography, fluorescence ...angiography and optical coherence tomography. This noninvasive diagnostic tool visualizes age- and disease-related metabolic changes of the retinal pigment epithelium. The autofluorescence signal mainly derives from dominant fluorophores in lipofuscin granules of the RPE. Lipofuscin accumulation represents a common downstream pathogenetic pathway in many retinal and macular disease entities.Thus FAF imaging contributes significantly to our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of various retinal diseases.
