Cystoid Macular Edema Detected by Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy in Retro-Mode

PURPOSE: To investigate the visualization of cystoid macular edema (CME) using noninvasive retromode imaging by a new scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) and compare to previous imaging modalities. METHODS: The authors of the present study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 21 eyes of 20 patients with CME due to various etiologies. All eyes were examined with fundus camera, fluorescein angiography (TRC-50EX, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan), SLO (F-10, Nidek, Gamagori, Japan), and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) (3D OCT-1000, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). In the present study the SLO was used in the retro-mode with an infrared laser. RESULTS: Previous fundus photography could not detect CME adequately although SLO retro-mode could show numerous oval or polygonal cystoid spaces more readily. Furthermore, each individual small cystoid space could be detected and the area of each cystoid space could be measured. The area of the largest cystoid space showed a correlation with its height, as measured with OCT (R = 0.606, p = 0.004). The area of the whole foveal cystoid space showed a correlation with central macular thickness, as measured with OCT (R = 0.493, p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: A new commercially available SLO (F-10) in the retro-mode can allow us to detect each cystoid space non-invasively and to measure the extent of CME.

The Comparison of SLO Retromode Images with Conventional Fundus Photography for the Detection of Drusen

PURPOSE: To compare SLO (scanning laser ophthalmoscope) retromode images with conventional color fundus photography for the detection of drusen. METHODS: We obtained color fundus photography and SLO retromode images of the ten fellow eyes of ten patients with unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and twenty eyes of 20 patients who had only drusen without exudative AMD. The numbers of druse in each image were compared within the same retinal boundary. RESULTS: In the fellow eyes of unilateral exudative AMD, an average number of 63.1 +/- 81.9 drusen in color fundus photography and an average number of 141.3 +/- 124.1 drusen in SLO retromode images were detected (p = 0.005). In the eyes with only drusen, an average number of 57.0 +/- 43.9 drusen in color fundus photography and an average number of 112.2 +/- 82.0 drusen in SLO retromode images were detected (p = 0.000). In the presence of media opacity like cataract, drusen were better detected in SLO retromode images than they were in color fundus photography. CONCLUSIONS: About twice as many drusen were detected in SLO retromode images than in color fundus photography. Drusen were also better detected in SLO retromode images in cases of media opacity. SLO retromode images might provide more sensitive images for the detection of drusen than does color fundus photography.