Five-year follow-up of fundus autofluorescence and retinal sensitivity in the fellow eye in exudative age-related macular degeneration in Japan

Abstract

To assess the 5-year change in abnormal fundus autofluorescence (FAF) patterns and retinal sensitivity in the fellow eye of Japanese patients with unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Patients with unilateral exudative AMD who developed abnormal FAF in the fellow eyes were enrolled. FAF imaging and microperimetry were performed at baseline and follow-ups. FAF findings were classified into 8 patterns based on the International Fundus Autofluorescence Classification Group to assess retinal sensitivity. Forty-five points covering the central 12 degrees on microperimetry were superimposed onto the FAF images. Each point was classified depending on the distance from the abnormal FAF. "Close" was defined as the portion within 1 degree from the border of any abnormal FAF, and "Distant" was defined as the portion over 1 degree from the border of abnormal FAF. To investigate the association between the retinal sensitivity and distance from the abnormal FAF, hierarchical linear mixed-effect models were used with the distance, time and time squared from baseline

Progression of age-related macular degeneration in eyes with abnormal fundus autofluorescence in a Japanese population: JFAM study report 3

“…Sixty-six Japanese patients (age �50 years) with unilateral advanced nAMD were enrolled in this 5-year study. The inclusion criteria were the presence of hyperfluorescent or hypofluorescent areas in the fellow eyes on FAF imaging that we have described before [19,20]. Briefly, the inclusion criterion for the study eye was hyperfluorescence or hypofluorescence on FAF images measured by the Heidelberg Retina Angiogram Digital Angiography System (HRA) or HRA2 (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany).…”

“…The FAF patterns were classified by four authors (MS, TS, YO, and TY) on the basis of the International Fundus Autofluorescence Classification Group system (IFAG) [18][19][20]22] as follows: minimal change, focal increase, focal plaque-like, patchy, linear, lace-like, reticular, and speckled. The flow chart developed by the Japanese Fundus Autofluorescence and Microperimetry in Early Age-Related Maculopathy study group was used to evaluate the FAF patterns [19].…”

“…FAF images (66 eyes) of sufficient quality were obtained at baseline and classified into eight patterns according to the International Fundus Autofluorescence Classification Group classification system [19,20]. The baseline FAF patterns of eyes that progressed to CNV (n = 14) during the study period were as follows: focal increase, 3 (22%); lace-like, 1 (7%); linear, 1 (7%); minimal change, 1 (7%); patchy, 7 (50%); reticular, 1 (7%).…”

“…Previously, we identified racial differences in the presentation of late AMD and abnormal FAF patterns that tended to change over time. In another study, we evaluated the association between retinal sensitivity and abnormal FAF, and found that retinal sensitivity near abnormal FAF tended to deteriorate after the third year [19,20].…”

“…Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the progression of early age-related macular degeneration to nAMD, and identify the abnormal FAF patterns and markers of CNV development in fellow eyes of patients with unilateral nAMD. In this study, the analysis was performed using the same subjects as the previously reported JFAM study [19,20].…”