Multimodal Imaging Can Be Used to Manage AMD

Julie Rodman, OD, MS, FAAO, a professor in the Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, discussed how multimodal imaging can be used in the management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ahead of her session on the topic to be held at the Southeastern Educational Congress of Optometry (SECO) 2025 meeting on Sunday, March 2.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity; captions were auto-generated.

Transcript

How can multimodal imaging be used to manage AMD?

Multimodal imaging essentially means either you're using OCT [optical coherence tomography], OCT angiography (OCT-A), fundus autofluorescence, fluorescent angiography—any test that's not just your basic, routine exam. We know, especially now with these new advances in geographic atrophy, that a lot of early disease findings are missed just based on clinical exam. OCT, OCT-A, [and] fundus autofluorescence do an amazing job, each of them in a different way, at identifying high-risk characteristics for both conversion to more advanced stages of disease and also just identification of the disease.

I would argue that any patient that has a wide-field imaging device, like an Optos, a Clarus, an Eidon, they probably have fundus autofluorescence on their camera. They should be getting not only color fundus photography, but also FAF [fundus autofluorescence] on every patient, because that provides that extra insight, or that extra sneak peek into what might be happening that we might not be seeing. It plays a huge role in providing ancillary information to a doctor. I hope that everybody that's practicing medical, optometry, retina, whatever it is, is using these devices in one way or another to supplement their exam.