title: Fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography and visual acuity in adult-onset foveomacular dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated fundus autofluorescence (FA) patterns and tomographic retinal changes by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT 3) in adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD) and their possible correlation with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen eyes of 15 consecutive patients (mean age: 73.73 +/- 9.5 years) presented to our observation with a diagnosis of AOFVD underwent BCVA measurement, evaluation of FA distribution by means of a confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscope and OCT 3 tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean BCVA was 20/40 (range: 20/20-20/100). The FA pattern was patchy in 9 eyes (50%), ring-like in 5 (27.7%), focal in 3 (16.6%) and linear in 1 (5.5%). No correlation between FA patterns and BCVA was found. OCT 3 showed accumulation of highly reflective material between the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in 12 eyes (66.6%) with an evident overlying photoreceptor layer (PRL). In 5 eyes the highly reflective material was built up between the neurosensory retina and RPE without evidence of PRL (27.7%). Only in 1 eye was the subretinal accumulation site not well defined (5.5%). The mean thickness of the deposit was 135.52 +/- 47.53 microm, while the residual neurosensory retina thickness was 103.94 +/- 24.21 microm. The relationship between BCVA and the thickness of the neurosensory retina over the lesion was not significant (p = 0.016, r = 0.33), while the correlation between BCVA and the material deposit thickness (p = 0.017, r = 0.12) was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In AOFVD, FA presented different patterns, while OCT usually shows a well-defined material accumulation with a generally reduced neurosensory thickness between PRL and RPE. FA imaging and OCT are useful and safe for the diagnosis and follow-up of AOFVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. caf.furino@libero.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Furino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boscia
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardascia
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sborgia
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sborgia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000378:metabolism; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin