Purpose

To identify patterns of fundus autofluorescence (AF) in patients with Stargardt dystrophy and fundus flavimaculatus.

Material and methods

20 patients in age 7 to 47 years with Stargardt dystrophy and fundus flavimaculatus, were examined. Ophthalmic evaluation included nonstandarized Snellen visual acuity,complete ophthalmic examination, fluorescein angiography and color fundus photographs. The autofluorescence images were obtained using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope HRA2.

Results

In 15 patients lack or decreased AF signal in a foveal region with punctate diffuse spots with increased and decreased AF signal extending far from the macular region were observed. In 4 patients apart from lack of the AF signal in the central area punctate spots were restricted to the macular region. In 1 patient AF image was copletely normal.

Conclusions

Autofluorescence imaging allows for evaluation of the area with changes on the RPE level typical for this disease and is helpful, noninvasive examination for diagnostic process in such patients. A wide variation in clinical phenotype can occur in patients with Stargardt disease and fundus flavimaculatus. Obtained different fenotypes in autofluorescence imaging may correlate with different clinical types of this disease, described in the literature.