Fundus autofluorescence and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography findings suggesting tissue remodelling in retinal pigment epithelium tear. Issue 9 (23rd July 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Caramoy, Albert; Fauser, Sascha; Kirchhof, Bernd
• Is Part Of: British journal of ophthalmology. Volume 96:Issue 9(2012)
• Page Start: 1211
• Page End: 1216
• Publication Date: 2012-07-23
• Subjects: Retinal pigment epithelium tear -- pigment migration -- spectral-domain optical coherence tomography -- fundus autofluorescence -- macula -- pharmacology -- neovascularisation -- drugs -- clinical trial -- treatment surgery; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301750
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1161

Abstract

Abstract : Aim: To study tissue remodelling and wound healing after retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears due to age-related macular degeneration. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study of 36 eyes (33 patients) with RPE tears. Imaging was performed using fundus autofluorescence (FAF) (λ=488 nm) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Presence of intraretinal hyper-reflective dots in SD-OCT, which correlated with hyperfluorescent dots in FAF, indicating RPE migration was studied. Morphology of subretinal mass and RPE layer integrity in the RPE denuded area over time were examined. Results: 7 of 36 eyes (19.4%) showed patchy or hazy hyperfluorescent areas in FAF, and the majority of eyes (83.3%) showed hyper-reflective dots, which possibly represent intraretinal RPE migration and hard exudates. Homogenous subretinal mass was encountered in about half of all cases. In one case (2.8%), the RPE layer proliferated and covered the defect. Conclusions: SD-OCT and FAF showed a considerable amount of RPE proliferation, migration and repopulation. Intraretinal RPE migration did not form a functional RPE layer. A small defect might be repaired by cell proliferation. But this RPE proliferation is not sufficient to cover large defects.