The normal fundus fluorescein angiogram. II. A longitudinal fluorescein angiographic study of the fundus in clinically healthy subjects without ophthalmoscopically abnormalities.

Three consecutive photographic fundus examinations using colour, interference filter photographs and fluorescein angiography showed no intraindividual variation within one year, but a considerable interindividual variation of the morphologic fundus elements was found in 48 eyes of 48 clinically healthy middle aged subjects. There were 20 eyes with distinctly outlined minute hyperfluorescent elements, 15 eyes with minute indistinctly outlined and 3 eyes with distinctly outlined hypofluorescent elements. These elements remained unchanged after one year. In 80% of the eyes with hypofluorescent elements there were characteristically no concomitant hyperfluorescent elements. Seventeen of 48 eyes had fundus elements exclusively visible in the colour and filter pictures. Most hyperfluorescent elements corresponded with elements in the green interference filter photographs (85% of the eyes). These findings indicate minute changes in the layers of Bruch's membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium in most of the eyes. The indistinctly outlined hypofluorescent elements might represent minute choroidal vascular filling defects or minute areas with blockage of the choroidal fluorescence.