title: Infrared fundus autofluorescence and central serous chorioretinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the findings of infrared fundus autofluorescence in eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was an observational follow-up of 83 eyes of 80 consecutive patients with CSC recruited from a hospital referral practice. Infrared autofluorescence (IR-AF) findings and those of other clinical studies, including short-wave autofluorescence (SW-AF), fundus color photography, and optical coherence tomography were assessed. The IR-AF changes that appeared during the follow-up period were recorded. The relationship between IR- and SW-AF was analyzed by comparing the categories of focal autofluorescence (granular hyper-AF, granular hypo-AF, and mixed AF). The influence of final clinical findings on final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three of 83 (27%) eyes showed granular hyper-IR-AF, whereas 53 (64%) eyes showed granular hyper-SW-AF. Most of the eyes with granular hyper-IR-AF (92%) showed granular hyper-SW-AF. On the contrary, the eyes with granular hyper-SW-AF showed various patterns of IR-AF. The deposits with hyper-IR-AF corresponding to hyper-SW-AF turned into hypo-IR-AF with hyper-SW-AF in four eyes. Final BCVA was significantly worse in eyes with granular hypo-IR-AF compared with the eyes without the findings (P = 0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Granular hyper-IR-AF from the deposits in CSC appeared concurrently with hyper-SW-AF. Granular hyper-IR-AF changed from hyperautofluorescence to hypoautofluorescence during the follow-up period. This change of IR-AF characteristics was different from that of SW-AF. The changes are attributable to the modification of melanin in the RPE. The authors speculate that the lipofuscin-like materials contribute to the characteristic changes of IR-AF through the modification of melanin in the RPE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan. sekiryu@fmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tetsuju
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sekiryu
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maruko
authors.forename: Kuniharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D056833:Central Serous Chorioretinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005453:Fluorescence; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000378:metabolism; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D055214:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin; D008543:Melanins