INDOCYANINE GREEN ANGIOGRAPHY IN STARGARDTS FLAVIMACULATUS

PURPOSE: We studied the indocyanine green videoangiographic characteri stics of eyes in patients with Stargardt's flavimaculatus and fluoresc ein angiographic evidence of a dark choroid. METHODS: Affected individ uals underwent ophthalmic examination and fluorescein angio graphic ex amination, Indocyanine green videoangiography was performed on eight p atients with classic Stargardt's flavimaculatus, Two additional asympt omatic patients with mild manifestations of Stargardt's flavimaculatus , both of whom were related to one patient with the classic phenotype, were also examined with indocyanine green video angiography. RESULTS: Choroidal detail was evident in all patients examined with indocyanin e green videoangiography, and varying degrees of choroidal vascular cl osure were documented in the maculas of eight patients. Retinal pigmen t epithelial flecks were found to block indocyanine green videoangiogr aphic fluorescence progressively, Late indocyanine green videoangiogra phic images frequently showed retinal pigment epithelial involvement i n areas of retina thought to be uninvolved clinically and by fluoresce in angiography, Peripapillary crescents of hypofluorescence, which in some patients were not noted clinically or by fluorescein angiography, were observed in all ten patients examined with indocyanine green vid eoangiography, In one asymptomatic patient, retinal pigment epithelial flecks could be identified only with indocyanine green videoangiograp hy. CONCLUSIONS: Indocyanine green videoangiography in conjunction wit h fluorescein angiography can be a valuable tool in the recognition an d further understanding of Stargardt's flavimaculatus.