title: Evaluation of fundus autofluorescence patterns in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the various morphological patterns of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Indian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 179 eyes of 104 patients with clinical diagnosis of AMD were recruited into the study. Autofluorescence images were captured using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and the patterns of FAF were classified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 179 eyes, 27 (15.08%) were early AMD, 58 (32.41%) were intermediate AMD, 94 eyes (52.51%) were late AMD. Of 94 eyes with late AMD, 79 (84.04%) were neovascular AMD and 15 (15.96%) were central geographic atrophy. In eyes with early and intermediate AMD, 9 patterns of FAF were noted. Six patterns (normal, minimal change, focal increased, patchy increased, linear, reticular) were similar to that in the published classification. Two patterns (lacelike and speckled) described in the published classification were not found. Three new patterns (focal hypo-fluorescence, patchy hypo-fluorescence, mixed focal hypo-fluorescence and hyper-fluorescence) were detected. In eyes with neovascular AMD, 6 morphological patterns of FAF were noted. Two patterns (mixed hypo-fluorescence and hyper-fluorescence, central hypo-fluorescence with hyper-fluorescent rim) were similar to that in published classification. Two patterns (normal, near normal or normal background fluorescence in the centre of hypo-fluorescent area) described in the published classification were not found. Four new patterns (minimal change, hypo-fluorescent patch, central hypo-fluorescence with surrounding reticular, bull's eye) were recognized. In eye with central geographic atrophy 5 morphological patterns were noted and these were similar to that in published classification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phenotypic differences in the pattern of FAF exist in the study population compared to existing classification systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venkatesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sagar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Rohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Varun
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gogia
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Rajpal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vohra
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Yog Raj
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: age-related macular degeneration; choroidal neovascularization; fundus autofluorescence; lipofuscin