Annular fundus autofluorescence abnormality in a case of macular dystrophy.

Purpose: To present a case of macular dystrophy with early changes in fundus autofluorescence.

Methods: A 20-year-old woman with a recent loss of visual acuity and onset of photophobia was examined. Color vision and visual field testing, fluorescein angiography, full-field and multifocal electroretinograms as well as fundus autofluorescence were performed.

Results: Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/100 (right eye) and 20/60 (left eye). There was a red-green color vision defect and a relative central scotoma in both eyes. Ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography were essentially normal, the presence of a dark choroid was debatable. Full-field ERG responses were normal, but the multifocal ERG showed severely reduced responses in the macular region. Both eyes showed a slight circular parafoveolar increase of fundus autofluorescence.

Conclusion: Besides multifocal ERG, fundus autofluorescence aids to objectively assess the manifestation of macular dystrophies but does not discern between different types in early stages.