The normal retinal fluorescein angiogram I. A study of the fluoresceinangiographic appearance of the retina in normal subjects without ophthalmoscopically obvious pathological changes.

Retinal fluorescein angiography and colour fundus photography was performed in the one eye of 48 clinically healthy middle aged subjects, 21 females and 27 males, without ophthalmoscopically obvious fundus abnormalities. A region of retina 45 degrees around the fovea was analysed for morphological elements in colour photographs, red-free photographs and fluorescein angiograms. Subtle morphological elements, small and 'large' fluorescent spots, were noted in 20 out of 48 subjects (= eyes) (42%) during the early and middle phases of the fluorescein angiogram. In 15 subjects the number and location of fluorescent spots (n = 40) corresponded to spots in the colour and red-free photographs. In 10 out of the 15 subjects (67%) with fluorescent spots the corresponding spots in the colour and red-free photographs were indistinctly outlined. Fluorescent spots without corresponding spots in colour and red-free photographs (n = 18) were found in 10 subjects. Thirty-eight per cent of all the fluorescent spots (n = 22) persisted with variable intensity in the late phases of the angiograms. Colour photographs disclosed variable numbers of yellowish spots in 34 subjects (71%). Sixty-four per cent of the spots (71 our of 111 spots) in colour photographs could not be visualized by fluorescein angiography. These spots were characteristically distinctly outlined. The retinal spots were chiefly located in the upper and lower regions temporal to the fovea both in colour photographs (71% of the spots) and the fluorescein angiograms (62% of the spots). The occurrence of morphological elements of the retina did not correlate with age or smoking habits. The appearance of minor morphological elements in the retina of normal subjects seems to variate widely as assessed by fluorescein angiography and fundus colour photography.