Laser confocal imaging useful for AMD

Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy with a lateral confocal aperture could highlight subclinical drusen and aid in the progression of monitoring in AMD patients, claims the latest paper in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The investigation, headed by Dr Bruno Diniz, Department of Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA, involved 11 eyes with non-neovascular AMD who underwent infrared imaging with a Nidek F-10 confocal SLO using multiple confocal apertures. These included the central, ring, aperture on the right side (AR), left side (AL) and with and without use of differential contrast (DC).

Colour fundus photographs were also obtained and exported into a certified grading tool. The number of drusen and the total drusen area was calculated for each image type. Paired t tests were compared between the aperture/DC modes and the colour image.

Drusen number values and area measurements attained by the AR mode were higher than the colour fundus photographs. Drusen area measurements were also higher in AL modes, compared to fundus photographs.

Addition of the DC did not appear to improve drusen detection compared to the unmodified infrared images. Therefore, the use of a lateral confocal aperture could assist in monitoring disease progression and response to emerging non-neovascular AMD therapies.

The abstract can be viewed here.