Introduction: Alterations in the intrinsic ocular fundus fluorescence are under discussion particularly in connection with age-related macular degeneration. However, further knowledge of the chemical substrate of fluorescence is necessary.
Method: Ocular fundus autofluorescence was observed using a fundus camera. The fluorescence emission was recorded using a 3-chip CCD camera. For comparison, the fluorescence spectra of lipofuscin, A2-E, FAD, NADH(2) and AGE's were recorded by the Jena ophthalmo-spectrometer.
Results: In contrast to the homogeneous intrinsic fluorescence of a normal fundus, the fluorescence images of patients suffering from AMD showed remarkable local differences. The detected fluorescence spectra showed remarkable overlaps.
Discussion: We introduced a new technique enabling the detection of spectral differences in images of ocular fundus autofluorescence. Besides the fluorescence of lipofuscin, we found a green one in patients suffering from nonexudative AMD.