In vivo Quantitation of Autofluorescence in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Abstract

We measured autofluorescence of the macula with fluorophotometry to evaluate age-related changes in human retinal pigment epithelium. Examined in this study were 35 aphakic eyes of 25 patients, ranging in age from 52 to 87 years, after uneventful intracapsular cataract extraction and 21 normal phakic eyes of 20 patients, ranging in age from 9 to 29 years. Autofluorescence at the macula of aphakic eyes increased in an age-dependent manner (r = 0.514; p < 0.01) as follows: 15.0 ngEq/ml for the sixth decade (n = 1), 17.2 ± 4.2 for the seventh decade (n = 11), 21.3 ± 3.6 for the eighth decade (n = 16) and 24.6 ± 2.7 for the ninth decade (n = 7). We believe that the autofluorescence originates mainly from lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium, and that the autofluorescence enhanced with age reflects the accumulation of lipofuscin.

Fundus Autofluorescence before and after Photodynamic Therapy for Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

“…It is believed that metabolic activity of RPE correlates with the content of lipofuscin in RPE cells [15]. Fundus autofluorescence (AF) was shown to be derived from the lipofuscin within the RPE [16].…”

Autofluorescence of intraocular tumours

“…Quantitative assessment of autofluorescence phenomena was performed initially by Kitagawa et al [5] in 1989 using fluorophotometry. Subsequently, with adjustments and modifications of existing camera systems and the advent of confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and single flash fundus camera, there has been widespread use of autofluorescence.…”

Imaging the intraocular tumor

“…Lipofuscin fluoresces with a specific emission profile when stimulated with light, a phenomenon known as 'autofluorescence'. Kitagawa et al first quantified this property of lipofuscin in 1989 using fluorophotometry [17]. Modern fundus cameras exploit this property to obtain autofluorescence fundus photographs highlighting areas of presumed increased accumulation of RPE lipofuscin ( Autofluorescence photography is often very useful when diagnosing intraocular tumors, especially of the choroid.…”