Foveal vision function before and after fluorescein angiography.
OBJECTIVE
Fluorescein angiography is routinely used in ophthalmologic practice with minimal changes in vision reported by the patient after the procedure. Recent animal work has suggested that fluorescein may be cytotoxic in the presence of light and may cause retinal damage. The authors examined whether any changes occur in foveal vision function after fluorescein angiography.


METHODS
A battery of tests of vision function--including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color vision, and two-color increment thresholds designed to isolate individual cone pathways--was administered before and 48 hours after fluorescein angiography to a group of 10 patients with good visual acuity.


RESULTS
Most of the patients showed significant abnormalities with the nonstandard tests; however, no significant changes in central vision function were found 48 hours after fluorescein angiography.


CONCLUSIONS
Even sensitive vision tests show no measurable effect of fluorescein angiography on foveal vision function in eyes with significant disease.
Friedman
N
N
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94115.
Haegerstrom-Portnoy
G
G
Paul
O
O
Jampolsky
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003118:Color Perception; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D019793:Fluorescein; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity
D005452:Fluoresceins; D019793:Fluorescein