Ultra-widefield Autofluorescrnce
• Fundus Autofluorescence ( FAF or AF) is a novel, non-invasive imaging procedure that often yields abnormalities that are invisible to ophthalmoscopy and standard color fundus photography.
• AF has been previously Introduced In (RR#42). (RR#45), (RR#47) and (RR#52).
• FAF is likely due to lipofuscin, the “wear and tear” pigment found in retinal cells, especially RPE cells.
• The normal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) yields a slightly granular AF glow in contrast to the optic disc and retinal blood vessels which appear black.
• The accumulation of lipofuscin, often due to lysosomal dysfunction, results in increased AF and suggests RPE dysfunction or stress.
• Decreased FAF suggests loss of RPE cells (as well as possibly photoreceptors) and correlates to reduced levels of lipofuscin.
• In this RR, a wide variety of retinal degenerations demonstrate the additional information gained with ultra widefield AF.