Autofluorescence is produced by lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells which is induced by exciting light and enables the visualization of lipofuscin changes in the RPE cells, thus showing the function of RPE and photoreceptor cells. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging is a non-invasive imaging technique providing information of RPE and photoreceptor cells, which is not obtainable with other imaging modalities. The scope of applications includes identification of diseased RPE in retinal diseases, elucidating pathophysiological mechanisms, estimating disease progression and prognosis, guiding treatment protocols. Common fundus diseases have different pathological types, levels and causes, so they can cause various damages of RPE and photoreceptor cells which induce complicated FAF. It is worth to further observing and investigating the common retinal diseases' FAF characteristics and clinical applications.
ObjectiveTo observe the imaging features of branching vascular network (BVN) in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). MethodsEighty PCV patients (90 eyes) were enrolled in this study. The patients included 58 males and 22 females. The age was ranged from 49 to 85 years, with a mean age of 61.4 years. All the patients were examined for fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The fibrovascular retinal pigment epithelium detachment (PED) was defined as a well-demarcated subretinal heterogeneous plaque with increasing fluorescence on FFA. The late lichenoid hyperfluorescent plaque was defined as a well-demarcated lichenoid hyperfluorescent plaque on late phase ICGA. The double-layer sign on OCT was defined as a wide range of shallow PED from Bruch membrane. ResultsBVN were found on early ICGA in 76 eyes among the 90 eyes (84.4%). Among these 76 eyes, 18 eyes (23.7%) demonstrated the subretinal reddish-orange branches corresponding to BVN. Fifty-six eyes (73.7%) demonstrated all or part of the BVN on early FFA. Three eyes (3.9%) demonstrated branching transmitted fluorescence corresponding to BVN throughout the FFA. Seventy-three eyes (96.1%) were manifested by occult choroidal vascularization on FFA, and 21 eyes (27.6%) of them were fibrovascular PED. Among the 76 eyes with BVN, all BVN appeared earlier than polypoidal lesions on ICGA. Polypoidal lesions located on the terminal of BVN in 62 eyes (81.6%). Sixty-nine eyes (90.8%) on ICGA demonstrated the late lichenoid hyperfluorescent plaque, whose area was equal to or greater than the area of BVN shown on early ICGA. Seventy-two eyes (94.7%) had the double-layer sign. Among these 72 eyes, 15 eyes (20.8%) had lumen-like structure within the double-layer sign. Sixty-five eyes (90.3%) had punctate and linear hyper-reflectance within the double-layer sign. Two eyes (2.8%) demonstrated a hyporeflective short segment and a gap of Bruch membrane on OCT corresponding to the origin of the BVN. Sixty-three eyes (87.5%) had an area of double-layer sign that matched the area of late lichenoid hyperfluorescent plaque on ICGA. ConclusionsBVN in PCV can be noted as reddish-orange branches on fundus examination. Most of the BVN are shown as early branching transmitted fluorescence but collectively an occult choroidal vascularization on FFA, as lichenoid hyperfluorescent plaque on late ICGA, and as double-layer sign on OCT whose area matches late lichenoid hyperfluorescent plaque.
Objective To observe the diameters of macular hole and destroyed boundary line between inner and outer segment (IS/OS) of the photoreceptors and the correlation with the visual acuity in patients with idiopathic macular hole(IMH). Methods The clinical data of 39 eyes (37 patients) with IMH were retrospective analyzed. All the patients had undergone the examinations of visual acuity (Snellen chart), intra-acular pressure, ocular fundus (indirect ophthalmoscope), and Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) whose speed was 27 000A scan/s, area was 6.0 mmtimes;6.0 mm, and the mode was 512times;128. The diametres of macular hole and destroyed IS/OS, and the correlations with visual acuity were detected. Results The mean logMAR was 0.99plusmn;0.44 (ranged from 0.15 to 2.00),the mean diameter of macular holes was (942.0plusmn;348.4) mu;m(ranged from 171 to 1491 mu;m), and the mean diameter of IS/OS disruption was (1870.3plusmn;673.2) mu;m(range from 463 to 3176 mu;m). There was a significant correlation among the diameter of the macular hole, the diameter of the IS/OS disruption, and logMAR in IMH (P＝0.038, 0.002, 0.000）. In eyes with closed macular hole after surgery, the logMAR and the diameter of the IS/OS disruption had a significant decrease. Conclusion Using FD-OCT the photoreceptor changes can be visualized in vivo. The abnormality in the ISOS boundary line appears to be involved for a much larger area beyond the macular hole itself, and persists there with small size even after the macular hole closure surgery.
ObjectiveTo observe the characteristics of magnetic resonance angiography of (MRA) ophthalmic artery in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR).MethodsA total of 36 eyes of DR patients (DR group) diagnosed by clinical examination were included in the study. Among them, there were 42 eyes in 21 males and 15 eyes in 15 females. The average age was 55.2 years old. The average duration of diabetes was 7.56 years. All eyes were examined by MRA and fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) in the ophthalmic artery. At the same time, 24 eyes of 12 patients were examined by computed tomography angiography (CTA). Twenty-two healthy volunteers with age and gender matching were selected as the control group. Among them, there were 13 males and 9 females. All patients underwent MRA examination of the ophthalmic artery; at the same time, 5 eyes of 5 eyes were examined by CTA. MRA and CTA were classified into three grades according to the development condition and shape change of the ophthalmic artery. 0 grade : no abnormality; grade Ⅰ: mild lesion; grade Ⅱ: obvious lesion. According to the results of FFA examination, it was divided into no obvious disease stage, background stage, proliferative stage, proliferative stage. The morphological features of the MRA of the ophthalmic artery in the DR group and the control group were compared. The relationship between the MRA grading of the ophthalmic artery and the FFA staging was observed in the DR group. The consistency analysis between the MRA and CTA grades of the ophthalmic artery in the DR group was performed by Kappa test; the relationship between the MRA grade and the FFA staging of the ophthalmic artery was analyzed by Spearson correlation analysis of the same data with two-way ordered attributes.ResultsIn 44 eyes of the control group, the MRA in grade 0 and Ⅰ of the ophthalmic artery were 41 and 3 eyes, respectively; all eyes of the CTA examination of the ophthalmic artery were grade 0. In 72 eyes of the DR group, the MRA in grade 0, Ⅰ, and Ⅱ of the ophthalmic artery were 28, 28, and 16 eyes, respectively. Among the 24 eyes examined by CTA, there were 13, 6, and 5 eyes in grade 0, Ⅰ, and Ⅱ, respectively. In the DR group, the classification of MRA and CTA of the ophthalmic artery was highly consistent (Kappa value = 0.86). There were significant differences in the number of eyes with different grades of MRA in the DR group and the control group (Z=-5.74, P=0.000). In 72 eyes of the DR group, there were 8, 12, 22, and 30 eyes in no obvious disease stage, background stage, proliferative stage, and proliferative stage, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between MRA grading and FFA staging in the DR group (r=0.405, P=0.000).ConclusionsMRA can show the changes of ophthalmic artery morphology and reflect DR staging to a certain extent. It has a high consistency with FFA vascular changes.