Fluorescent Angiography

Fluorescent angiography is a golden standard for identifying retinal pathology of blood vessels. It is an important supplementary examination which enhances differential diagnosis and provides for its precision. Fluorescent angiography is used in patients with diabetes to decide if laser treatment is necessary, in patients with retinal thrombosis, retinal artery occlusion, age-related macular degeneration, chorioretinitis, trauma and other eye diseases.
Fluorescent angiography is a tracing technique using fluorescein dye which is injected in a vein at the bend of the elbow. After about 10 seconds the dye reaches the blood vessels of the retina. A fundus camera takes photographs – during the first 20 sec. a photo is taken once every 1-2 seconds. A delayed image is obtained at 5 and 10 minutes. The fundus camera emits harmless blue light with a wavelength of 490 nm. This test is done to examine the retinal blood circulation and find eye diseases.
The patient’s skin becomes a yellow-green colour but this effect disappears because the dye is thrown out of the body through the urine within 12-24 hours. The test is harmless and can be repeated after 6 months.