Diagnostic Techniques: Autofluorescence

Fundus auto fluorescence is a noninvasive imaging modality detecting the lipofuscin and melanolipofuscin content at the retinal pigment epithelium level. This technique may reveal the effects of choroidal tumors on the overlying retinal pigment epithelium and may also provide specific information on intrinsic pigments that compose and characterize various chorioretinal lesions. Lipofuscin, melanin, and melanolipofuscin strongly influence the auto fluorescence patterns of the chorioretinal tumors, but other pigments may theoretically influence the auto fluorescence pattern of these lesions. In this chapter we review the role of auto fluorescence in the diagnosis of benign and malignant chorioretinal lesions.