title: Peripheral fundus autofluorescence is increased in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate peripheral fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in patients with AMD.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive series of 71 normal eyes, 71 eyes with neovascular AMD having received anti-VEGF treatment, and 43 eyes with untreated AMD were investigated. In all subjects, wide-field FAF imaging was performed, applying a wide-field scanning laser ophthalmoscope. FAF was quantified by image analysis software after defining peripheral and perifoveal central measurement zones with a grid scheme; age correction was performed by regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fundus autofluorescence increased with age not only in the perifoveal retinal area, but also in the retinal periphery. For age-corrected measurements, peripheral FAF was significantly increased for both, treated and untreated AMD groups compared with normal subjects. No significant difference was observed in peripheral FAF between AMD eyes having received anti-VEGF treatment and those without treatment. Age-corrected normal FAF in the retinal center differed significantly from the anti-VEGF-treated group (P < 0.01), but not the untreated AMD group. Age-corrected peripheral FAF irregularity, defined as the standard deviation in the measurement field, was significantly increased in both AMD groups compared with normal subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of peripheral in addition to central FAF may provide additional information potentially helpful to detect and monitor the development of AMD. No differences in autofluorescence were observed in the retinal periphery between anti-VEGF-treated and untreated eyes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reznicek
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wasfy
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stumpf
authors.forename: Anselm
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kampik
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ulbig
authors.forename: Aljoscha S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kernt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab