Peripheral retinal fluorescence features of ultra-wide fundus fluorescein angiography in normal fundus eyes

Objective

To analyze the peripheral retinal fluorescence characteristics of normal fundus on ultra-wide field fluorescein angiography (UWFA) images.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted.Ninety-five patients (190 eyes) who underwent normal UWFA in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from July 2016 to January 2019 were enrolled.There were 94 (49.47%) male eyes and 96 (50.53%) female eyes.Among them, there were 72 (37.89%) mild cataract eyes, 60 (31.58%) moderate and low myopia eyes and 58 (30.53%) subjective blurred vision eyes.The peripheral retinal fluorescence characteristics were divided into vascular-associated feature or non-vascular feature according to whether the retinal vessel involved or not.The subjects were divided into ≤40 years old group and >40 years old group, and the differences in various features between the two groups were compared and analyzed.The study protocol adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by an Ethics Committee of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (No.WDRY2019-K037). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to any examination.

Results

Four non-vascular and five vascular-associated fluorescence features were found in normal peripheral retina.Non-vascular features contained glass hyperfluorescence in 158 (83.16%) eyes, far peripheral retina with mottled florescent band in 82 (43.16%) eyes, granular ground hyperfluorescence in 24 (12.63%) eyes and local mottled fluorescence in 21 (11.05%) eyes.Vascular-associated fluorescence features included peripheral avascular area in 92 (48.42%) eyes, vessels passing through the ora serrata in 66 (34.74%) eyes, microaneurysm in 60 (31.58%) eyes, slight leakage within 10 minutes after angiography in 56 (29.47%) eyes and angiotelectasis in 30 (15.79%) eyes.There were 19.61% (20/102) of eyes with peripheral retinal vessels passing through the ora serrata and 43.10% (44/102) of eyes with microaneurysm and 19.61% (20/102) of eyes with angiotelectasis in >40 years old group, and there were 52.27% (46/88), 18.23% (16/88) and 11.36% (10/88) correspondingly in ≤40 years old group, and the differences were statistically significant (χ²=22.235, 10.451, 9.259; all at P<0.01).

Conclusions

UWFA reveals four non-vascular and five vascular-associated fluorescence characteristics of normal fundus and age might be associated with the distribution of microaneurysm and angiotelectasis.