Autofluorescence imaging of pingueculae.

Abstract

To analyse the autofluoresence (AF) properties of pingueculae and compare the size of AF with the extent of the visible lesion. Forty eyes of 23 patients with pingueculae were included in the study. AF images were obtained using an HRA2 confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope; anterior segment photographies were obtained using TRC-50IX, IMAGEnet 2000 Digital Imaging System. The AF characteristics of pingueculae were analysed. The extent of visible lesion in anterior segment photography and AF image was compared. AF images revealed well-defined hyper-autofluorescence in the area of pinguecula, which was greater than the extent of visible pinguecula in the slit-lamp examination, in 40 of 56 lesions (71.4%). In none of the eyes was the hyperautofluorescent area smaller than the extent of visible lesion. Pingueculae display hyperautofluorescence in AF imaging. The real size of pingueculae may be estimated by its AF characteristics, which is mostly larger than the visible lesion.