Quantitative autofluorescence: Review of Current Technical Aspects and Applications in Chorioretinal Disease. (19th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deitch, Iris; Ferenchak, Kevin; Miller, John B.
• Is Part Of: Seminars in ophthalmology. Volume 36:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 346
• Page End: 350
• Publication Date: 2021-05-19
• Subjects: Quantitative fundus autofluorescence -- retina -- lipofuscin -- chorioretinal disease -- age-related macular degeneration; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; Eye -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Eye -- Surgery -- Periodicals; 617.7005
• DOI: 10.1080/08820538.2021.1908570
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0882-0538

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Purpose: In this review we discuss the broad clinical application of qAF and provide a descriptive summary of the phenotypic findings of different chorioretinal pathologies. Background: Quantitative Fundus autofluorescence (qAF) is a novel developing technology that can aid in diagnosis and longitudinal disease monitoring by measuring and comparing autofluorescence intensities. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) is a noninvasive imaging method that creates a density map of the fluorophores of the ocular fundus and provides both functional and topographic anatomic information about retinal cells. Fluorophores are molecules that have the ability to temporarily absorb irradiated light, and emit a small amount of light of a different wavelength. Different endogenous fluorophores can be found in the ocular fundus. Changes in accumulation of retinal fluorophores usually indicate retinal pathology and create characteristic patterns of hyper-autofluorescence and hypo-autofluorescence that help establish a diagnosis. Conclusion: qAF allows a safe non-invasive visualization of the retina, enables a standard for AF intensities comparison and aids to the understanding of the genotype-phenotype correlations.