Diagnosis and treatment of fundus diseases using scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Abstract

Scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) has two advantages over conventional fundus camera to produce fundus image. One is scanning system of laser beam, which is weak enough for the safety of the retina, and the highly sensitive detector. The other is the confocality and the dark field view, which is produced by the aperture in front of the detector. The confocality increases the contrast of the picture. Three kinds of laser (argon, helium neon and diode lasers) are available for the scanning laser beam. Each of these lasers has its own characteristic in intraocular permeability. Argon laser is good at visualizing the changes of vitreioretinal surface and retinal nerve fiber layer. Herium neon laser offers better visualization of neural retina. Diode laser enables us to see choroidal vessels. These lasers enable fluorescein and indocyanine green angiographies with suitable filters. SLO is expected to offer psycophysical and electrophysiologic tests in the future.