JAN 27, 2009
Comprehensive Ophthalmology
This study's authors retrospectively compared short-wavelength and near-infrared autofluorescence results in 26 eyes with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).
One eye of each of 26 patients followed for at least four months was included in the study. Subjects were diagnosed with CSC based on the characteristic appearance of the fundi and fluorescein angiography results. Short-wave and near-infrared autofluorescence was performed on the subjects with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). Short-wave autofluorescence images taken during the acute phase were compared with those taken during a follow-up examination or after resolution of retinal detachment for all 26 eyes, while pairs of near-infrared autofluorescence images were available for 20 of them.
The authors found that 24 of the 26 eyes had decreased short-wave autofluorescence corresponding to the area of serous retinal detachment, as did 20 of 26 corresponding to the leakage point. The comparable numbers for near-infrared autofluorescence were 19 of 20 for serous retinal detachment and all 20 cases for the leakage site. Increased granular autofluorescence corresponding to the extent of the former retinal detachment was seen earlier with short-wavelength autofluorecence but later in the course of the disease with near-infrared autofluorescence.
The authors conclude that combining these two different methods of autofluorescence imaging could predict recent or former CSC episodes and may be a noninvasive technique for monitoring CSC and performing differential diagnosis.