What exactly is the procedure called fluorescein angiography?

Fluorescein angiography is a diagnostic procedure used to evaluate the health and function of the blood vessels in the retina at the back of your eye. This test allows your eye doctor to determine the presence and extent of damage to the eye from various disease processes, such as diabetes.

During fluorescein angiography, a dye is injected into a vein in your arm. This water-soluble dye travels to your heart, where it is pumped into the arteries which circulate throughout your body. As the dye passes through the blood vessels of the retina at the back of your eye, a special camera takes a series of photographs of the retina. If these blood vessels are not normal, dye will leak into the surrounding tissues. Damage to the lining underneath the retina or the presence of any abnormal blood vessels will also be revealed. By careful examination of the angiography pictures, your doctor can identify the exact location of problems and more accurately direct treatment to those areas. This dye is not like that used by radiologist—there are no x-rays.

After the dye is injected, some patients feel a slight sensation of nausea, which usually passes in a matter of seconds. Your skin may turn a yellowish color for several hours until the dye is filtered from your bloodstream by your kidneys. This sometimes lasts as long as 24 hours following the test.

If the dye leaks out of a blood vessel into your skin during the injection, some burning and yellow staining of the skin at the site of the leak may occur. The burning sensation usually lasts for only a few minutes, and the staining slowly goes away over several days.

As with any dye that is injected into your body, a rare allergic reaction may occur. If this happens, you may experience a skin rash and itching. This can be treated with an antihistamine, which is given orally or as an injection, depending on the severity of your symptoms. It is important to tell us of any medication or dye allergies of which you are aware.

This diagnostic test is especially useful in patients with diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, or other retinal problems. Vision may become blurry when fluid accumulates inside the retina or when abnormal blood vessels rupture and bleed into the eye. Pictures taken during fluorescein angiography can show your doctor the exact areas that may need to be treated with the laser to prevent a further loss of vision.

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