FLUORESCENCE LIFETIME IMAGING OPHTHALMOSCOPY: Findings After Surgical Reattachment of Macula-Off Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy lifetimes after macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with successful macula-off RRD reattachment surgery were included. Retinal autofluorescence was excited with 470 nm, and amplitude-weighted mean fluorescence lifetimes (Tm) were measured in a short spectral channel (SSC, 498–560 nm) and a long spectral channel (LSC, 560–720 nm). Tm were obtained within a standardized Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid and correlated with Tm. The unaffected fellow eye served as control. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients (age: 65 ± 1.6 years, 11 women) were imaged at median 1.5 months postoperatively. Tm were significantly prolongxxxed within areas of previously detached retina in the long spectral channel and particularly in the central subfield in the short spectral channel. Short lifetimes in the center of the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid correlated with better visual acuity (short spectral channel; r(2) = 0.18, P = 0.001, long spectral channel; r(2) = 0.08, P = 0.03). Areas of residual subretinal fluid pockets in four RRD eyes displayed short fluorescence lifetimes. CONCLUSION: Areas of previously detached retina exhibit significant fluorescence lifetime changes. We found a significant correlation of fluorescence lifetimes within the fovea with visual acuity after successful RRD repair. Our data suggests that the prolongation of fluorescence lifetimes in the fovea is mainly driven by loss of macular pigment. Therefore, fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy may be useful in the prediction of long-term functional outcomes after macula-off RRD surgery.