Correlation between hyperreflective foci and visual function testing in eyes with intermediate age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Abstract Background To investigate the relationship between intraretinal hyperreflective foci (HRF) and visual function in intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD). Methods Retrospective, cross-sectional study. iAMD patients underwent spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging and vision function testing: normal luminance best corrected visual acuity (VA), low luminance VA (LLVA), quantitative contrast sensitivity function (qCSF), low luminance qCSF (LLqCSF), and mesopic microperimetry. Each OCT volume was graded for the presence and number of HRF. Each HRF was graded for: separation from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), above drusen, and shadowing. Central drusen volume was calculated by the built-in functionality of the commercial OCT software after manual segmentation of the RPE and Bruch’s membrane. Results HRF group: 11 eyes; 9 patients; mean age 75.7 years. No-HRF group: 11 eyes; 10 patients; mean age 74.8 years. In linear mixed effect model adjusting for cube-root transformed drusen volume, HRF group showed statistically significant worse VA, LLVA, LLqCSF, and microperimetry. HRF group showed worse cone function, as measured by our pre-defined multicomponent endpoint, incorporating LLVA, LLqCSF and microperimetry (p = 0.018). For eyes with HRF, # of HRF did not correlate with any functional measures; however, % of HRF separated from RPE and # of HRF that created shadowing were statistically associated with low luminance deficit (LLD). Conclusions The association between the presence of HRF and worse cone visual function supports the hypothesis that eyes with HRF have more advanced disease.