Foveal Abnormality associated with epiretinal Tissue of medium reflectivity and Increased blue-light fundus Autofluorescence Signal (FATIAS)

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2019 Dec;257(12):2601-2612. doi: 10.1007/s00417-019-04451-7. Epub 2019 Sep 7.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe a distinct vitreomacular interface disorder (VMID) termed Foveal Abnormality associated with epiretinal Tissue of medium reflectivity and Increased blue-light fundus Autofluorescence Signal (FATIAS).

Methods: A case series including forty-seven eyes of 47 patients. The included eyes must present an irregular foveal contour on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and a pathologically increased autofluorescent signal at the fovea on blue-light fundus autofluorescence (B-FAF). Main outcome measures were morphologic characteristics of the lesions, logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and central foveal thickness (CFT).

Results: The following two types of FATIAS were identified: (1) the step type characterized by an asymmetric contour of the foveal pit and by a tissue of medium reflectivity on the foveal surface and (2) the rail type characterized by a shallow foveal pit and a rail of tissue of medium reflectivity on the foveal surface. The outer retinal bands were continuous in all cases. Both types presented with an area of increased B-FAF signal, usually bilobed in the step type and round and centered on the foveal pit in the rail type. LogMAR BCVA was 0.09 ± 0.1 and 0.1 ± 0.1 (P = 0.91), and CFT was 197.8 ± 9.7 and 202.2 ± 13.2 (P = 0.19) in the step and in the rail group, respectively.

Conclusions: We describe a distinct VMID named FATIAS. Two types of FATIAS may be appreciated with SD-OCT and B-FAF analyses, the step and the rail type. Both are characterized by abnormal foveal contour and autofluorescence signal.

Keywords: Abnormal foveal contour; Epiretinal membrane; Fundus autofluorescence; Lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation; Optical coherence tomography.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Epiretinal Membrane / complications*
  • Epiretinal Membrane / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography / methods*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Fovea Centralis / pathology*
  • Fundus Oculi
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retinal Perforations / diagnosis*
  • Retinal Perforations / etiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*
  • Visual Acuity*