The serial changes of near-infrared autofluorescence in solar retinopathy

Abstract

Purpose: To elucidate the serial changes of near-infrared autofluorescence (NIA) imaging in an adolescent male with unilateral solar retinopathy.

Methods: This is a retrospective case report.

Results: The patient received a course of steroids, resulting in gradual improvement in visual acuity from 20/100 to 20/50 over 12 months. NIA findings showed that the hyperautofluorescent ring dissipated, leaving a hypoautofluorescent lesion. While OCT displayed persistent photoreceptor disruption, NIA revealed subtle changes over the follow-up period. The correlation between NIA findings and structural alterations in the photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) was consistent across all imaging modalities.

Conclusion: NIA imaging serves as a non-invasive tool for monitoring disease progression and evaluating the status of photoreceptors and RPE in solar retinopathy. The changes observed in NIA suggest that early intervention may positively impact the visual prognosis and disease progression. NIA may be a valuable adjunctive tool in the comprehensive evaluation of solar retinopathy.

Keywords: Infrared autofluorescence; Optical coherence tomography; Solar retinopathy.