Correlation of fundus autofluorescence patterns in early dry age-related macular degeneration with best-corrected visual acuity

Abstract

Background: Correlation of abnormal fundus autofluorescence (FAF) patterns with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).Aim: This study aims to evaluate FAF patterns in eyes with early dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and correlate these patterns with logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) BCVA. Settings and Design: Institutional, descriptive prospective cohort study. Subjects and Methods: One hundred fifty-nine eyes of 103 patients with early dry AMD were recruited. FAF imaging was done for all patients with the aid of confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO). BCVA was recorded for all patients using logMAR BCVA. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were fed to the computer and analyzed using IBM SPSS software package Version 20.0 (Armonk, NY, USA: IBM Corp). Kruskal–Wallis test for abnormally quantitative variables, to compare between more than two studied groups and post hoc (Dunn's multiple comparisons test) for pairwise comparisons. The significance of the obtained results was judged at the 5% level. Results: Seven FAF patterns have been identified (normal, minimal change, focal increased, linear, patchy, reticular, and speckled pattern). The mean logMAR BCVA among eyes with different FAF patterns was significantly variable. Eyes with patchy FAF pattern had the best mean BCVA (0.15 ± 0.0), while eyes with linear FAF pattern had the worst mean BCVA (0.52). Conclusions: The mean logMAR BCVA was statistically significant variable among different FAF patterns in eyes with early AMD suggesting a possible link between each FAF pattern and the visual prognosis. This finding can aid in determining the visual potential of eyes with early AMD according to FAF pattern in large samples studies.