Fluorescein Angiography
What is fluorescein angiography?
Fluorescein angiography is a diagnostic procedure. A special camera is used to take a series of photographs of the Reti-na, the light sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. This is not an X-ray.
A special water-soluble dye (fluorescein) is injected into a vein in the arm. The dye travels through the blood vessels, which circulate throughout the body. As the dye passes through the blood vessels of the retina, a special camera flashes a light into the eye and takes multiple photographs of the retina.
If the blood vessels are abnormal, the dye may leak into the retina or stain the blood vessels. Damage to the lining un-derneath the retina or the appearance of abnormal new blood vessels growing beneath the retina may also be revealed. The precise location of these abnormali-ties may be determined by a careful interpretation of the fluorescein angiogram by your eye doctor.
Why is fluorescein angiography done?
If after examining your eyes, your eye doctor suspects abnormalities in the back of the eye, he or she may recommend fluorescein angiography. It is often done to follow the course of disease and monitor treatment results. Without the help of fluorescein angiog-raphy, your eye doctor would not be able to thoroughly diagnose these and other abnormalities. Knowing exactly where a leak is, for example, can guide laser treatment with pinpoint accuracy.
What are the risks of fluorescein angiography?
After the fluorescein dye is injected, your skin may turn yellowish for several hours. Because the kid-neys remove the dye, your urine will turn dark orange for up to 24 hours following the test.
A few individuals may experience slight nausea during the procedure, but this usually passes within a few seconds. If the dye leaks out of a fragile vein during the injection in your arm, localised burning and yellow staining of the skin may occur. This burning usually lasts only a few minutes and the staining will go away in a few days.
Allergic reactions to fluorescein dye are rare. If they occur, they may cause a skin rash and itching. This is usually treated with antihista-mines, depending on the severity of the symptoms.
Life threatening allergic reactions (ana-phylaxis) is extremely rare. Being aller-gic to x-ray dyes which contain iodine does not mean that you will be allergic to fluorescein.
Why are regular medical eye examinations important for everyone?
Eye disease can occur at any age. Many eye diseases do not cause symptoms until the disease has done damage. Since most blindness is preventable if diagnosed and treated early, regular medical examinations by an ophthalmologist are very important.