The clinical application of fundus autofluorescence in lamellar macular holes and macular pseudo holes

Author: Georgios Batsos (Greece)

Co-authors: Efstratios Parikakis, Loukas Kontomichos, Aspasia Diafa, Konstantina Koumoutsou, Evita Evangelia Christou, Dimitrios Karagiannis

Purpose

To study the application of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in the assessment of lamellar macular holes (LMH) and macular pseudoholes (MPH).

Setting/Venue

Ophthalmiatreio Eye Hospital of Athens, 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, Retina Department

Methods

15 eyes from 11 patients with LMH or MPH, were examined at the Retina Department. These patients had no other coexisting retinal pathology. Based on the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings, each eye was initially categorized into 2 groups, LMH or MPH group. 9 of them were characterized as LMH and the other 6 as MPH. Then, FAF was performed on each case and the findings were compared with the OCT images and the initial diagnosis.

Results

In the LMH group, all eyes demonstrated foveal autofluorescence, which corresponded to foveal tissue loss. In the MPH group, 2 out of 6 eyes demonstrated foveal autofluorescence, indicating possible foveal tissue loss and the presence of LMH.

Conlusions

Fundus autofluorescence can provide useful information in cases where foveal tissue loss is suspected, supplementing the differential diagnosis between LMH and MPH. Larger studies are required to confirm these findings.

Financial Disclosure

none