Quantitative evaluation of fundus autofluorescence imaged "in vivo" in eyes with retinal disease

Aim-To describe a new method of evaluating the topographic distribution of fundus autofluorescence in eyes with retinal disease. Methods-Images of fundus autofluorescence were obtained in five patients an d 34 normal volunteers using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO ). To evaluate the topographic distribution of fundus autofluorescence thro ughout the posterior pole a rectangular box, 10 x 750 pixels, was used as t he area of analysis. The box was placed, horizontally, across the macular r egion. The intensity of fundus autofluorescence of each pixel within the re ctangular box was plotted against its degree of eccentricity. Profiles of f undus autofluorescence from patients were compared with those obtained from the age matched control group and with cSLO images. Results-Profiles of fundus autofluorescence appeared to represent the topog raphic distribution of fundus autofluorescence throughout the posterior pol e appreciated in the cSLO images, and allowed rapid identification and quan tification of areas of increased or decreased fundus autofluorescence. Conclusions-Fundus autofluorescence profiles appear to be useful to study t he spatial distribution of fundus autofluorescence in eyes with retinal dis ease.