The normal fundus. VI. The variation of fundus elements in relation to age and sex assessed by colour and filter fundus photography in clinically healthy subjects without ophthalmoscopical changes.

In 185 clinically healthy subjects ranging in age from 10 to 71 years with apparently normal ophthalmoscopy, colour and interference filter photographs of the one eye revealed one or more distinctly outlined yellowish elements in 126 eyes (68%) and a single red spot in 3 eyes (2%). The frequency of eyes with one or more fundus elements correlated positively (P less than 0.01) with age and predominated in males with an age greater than or equal to 25 years. A thinning of the pigment epithelium in the posterior pole of the fundus without concomitant myopia was associated (P less than 0.01) to the age group above 50 years (19 of 22 eyes) compared with the age group below 50 years (3 of 12 eyes). The fundus elements seen in 126 of 162 colour photographs with corresponding interference filter photographs of sufficient quality were recognized with the green filter in 98%, with the blue filter in 91% and the red filter photographs in 61% of the eyes.