Purpose: To investigate the pattern classification of near-infrared fundus autofluorescence (NIR-AF) images in fellow eyes with unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods: NIR-AF images were obtained from the fellow eyes of 37 patients with unilateral wet AMD［typical AMD, n=20; polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), n=17]. These were then classified into normal pattern (no abnormal findings), minimal pattern (less than 1/5 disk area in size of hypoautofluroescence), focal pattern (less than 1 but equal to or more 1/5 disk area in size of hypo- or hyperautofluroescence), and speckled pattern (equal to or more than 1 disk area in size mixed with hypo- and hyperautofluorescence). The affected eye AMD subtype prevalence for each pattern was investigated.
Results: In the AMD fellow eye NIR-AF images, normal, minimal, focal, and speckled patterns were observed in 5 eyes (AMD subtype in the first eyes; typical AMD/PCV, 2/3 eyes), 13 eyes (7/6 eyes), 15 eyes (7/8 eyes), and 4 eyes (4/0 eyes), respectively. The speckled pattern was predominantly seen in the fellow eyes with typical AMD.
Conclusion: In some cases of typical AMD, extensive NIR-AF abnormalities were observed in the fellow eyes.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 122: 385-392, 2018.