What Is Fluorescein Angiography?

Fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) is one of the main and commonly used methods for diagnosing fundus diseases in ophthalmology. It is of great significance for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis of fundus diseases. However, some adverse reactions can occur during this test, and individual cases can cause serious consequences and even endanger life.

Fundus fluorescein angiography

Fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) is one of the main and commonly used methods for diagnosing fundus diseases in ophthalmology. It is of great significance for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis of fundus diseases. However, some adverse reactions can occur during this test, and individual cases can cause serious consequences and even endanger life.

Chinese name

Fundus fluorescein angiography

Foreign name

fluorescein fundus angiography, FFA

We summarized and analyzed the adverse reactions and treatments of 1,672 patients during the FFA examination from January 2000 to December 2002, which provided a reference for clinical work.

From January 2000 to December 2002, 1 672 patients received FFA, including 925 males and 747 females; aged 9 to 76 years, with an average of 47.5 years.

1 Preparation before examination Ask the patient's history in detail to see if there is any serious

Of the 1 672 patients, 67 had transient nausea, vomiting, and itching of the skin, accounting for 4.0%, and 4 had local pain due to the leakage of sodium fluorescein into the skin, accounting for 0.2%. One case had obvious induration, and one case had anaphylactic shock. At that time, blood pressure could not be measured. The electrocardiogram showed a low T wave, and was released from danger after rescue without any sequelae.

Adverse reactions

Although the body's response to sodium fluorescein is simply an allergic reaction, there is no conclusive conclusion, and in fact, there are very few positive reactions in the dilution bolus test, so some people think that the allergy test has not predicted whether there will be an allergic reaction after injection. We still consider it necessary to do a skin allergy test.

To maintain a high concentration of sodium fluorescein in the blood, it must be injected from the cubital vein within 4 s to 5 s. During the injection of sodium fluorescein, the situation of the injection site and the patient's local pain should be closely observed. If leakage of sodium fluorescein is found, the injection should be stopped immediately, and the local compression should be performed for 5 to 10 minutes, and the patient should be observed for several hours or even days until the edema , Pain, congestion, etc. subsided. Transient nausea occurs, and the patient is instructed to breathe out slowly after opening his mouth, and comfort the patient. The nausea will soon disappear to relieve tension and generally prevent vomiting; those with skin itching and hives should use antihistamines.

Although there are very few FFA fatalities, according to foreign reports, the fatal rate of FFA is 1: 2.22 × 105, but various rescue drugs should be available at the imaging site, including epinephrine and dexamethasone for intravenous or intramuscular injection. Intravenous aminophylline, oxygen bags, etc.

Patients were told that the skin and bulbar conjunctiva were yellow within 6 h to 12 h after surgery, and the urine was orange within 24 h to 36 h. There is no need to panic, and it has no effect on the body. Although FFA has little effect on pregnant women and fetuses, avoid testing for pregnant women as much as possible unless necessary.