Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Department of BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018 Apr 1;59(5):1769-1778. doi: 10.1167/iovs.17-23336.
We investigated whether fundus autofluorescence (FAF) lifetimes in patients with retinitis pigmentosa display a disease-specific lifetime pattern.
Fundus autofluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) was performed in two spectral channels (498-560 and 560-720 nm) after excitation with a 473 nm pulsed laser in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and compared to healthy controls of a similar age range. Corresponding FAF intensity and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) data, as well as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were acquired and compared to fluorescence lifetime data.
We investigated 43 eyes from 43 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (mean age 45 ± 15 years) and compared them to eyes of 13 age-matched healthy participants. Mean FAF lifetimes were prolonged in areas of photoreceptor atrophy with preserved retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) (P = 0.0036) and even longer in areas with total atrophy of photoreceptors and RPE (P = 0.0002). The prevalence of perifoveal ring structures characterized by prolonged fluorescence lifetimes in FLIO was higher (63% vs. 49%) and the rings were wider compared to the hyperautofluorescent rings in qualitative fundus autofluorescence intensity images. In the central fovea with intact retinal layer structure identified by OCT, fluorescence lifetimes were slightly prolonged compared to those of age-matched healthy controls (short spectral channel [SSC], P = 0.0044; long spectral channel [LSC], P = 0.0128). Short lifetimes within the macular center were negatively correlated with BCVA (R2 = 0.33, P < 0.0001) as well as the greatest diameter of the ellipsoid band in OCT.
FLIO in retinitis pigmentosa reveals characteristic patterns that allow identification of areas of photoreceptor atrophy, RPE atrophy, and remaining photoreceptor segments in areas of RPE atrophy. Fluorescence lifetimes can be used to identify ellipsoid zone loss that correlates with functional parameters.
我们研究了色素性视网膜炎患者的眼底自发荧光（FAF）寿命是否存在特定于疾病的寿命模式。
对色素性视网膜炎患者进行眼底自发荧光寿命成像检眼镜（FLIO）检查，在 473nm 脉冲激光激发下在两个光谱通道（498-560nm 和 560-720nm）中进行，并与年龄相近的健康对照组进行比较。获取相应的 FAF 强度和光谱域光学相干断层扫描（OCT）数据，并与荧光寿命数据进行比较。
我们研究了 43 名色素性视网膜炎患者的 43 只眼（平均年龄 45±15 岁），并将其与 13 名年龄匹配的健康参与者的眼睛进行了比较。在保留视网膜色素上皮（RPE）的光感受器萎缩区域，FAF 寿命延长（P=0.0036），在光感受器和 RPE 完全萎缩的区域，寿命甚至更长（P=0.0002）。在 FLIO 中，具有延长荧光寿命的周边环结构的患病率更高（63% vs. 49%），并且与定性 FAF 强度图像中的高荧光环相比，环更宽。在 OCT 确定的视网膜层结构完整的中央凹中，与年龄匹配的健康对照组相比，荧光寿命略有延长（短光谱通道[SSC]，P=0.0044；长光谱通道[LSC]，P=0.0128）。黄斑中心的短寿命与最佳矫正视力（BCVA，R2=0.33，P<0.0001）以及 OCT 中的椭圆带最大直径呈负相关。
FLIO 在色素性视网膜炎中揭示了特征性模式，可识别光感受器萎缩、RPE 萎缩以及 RPE 萎缩区域中剩余的光感受器节段。荧光寿命可用于识别与功能参数相关的椭圆带丢失。
