Fluorescein Angiography

What is High Resolution Fluorescein?

In a fluorescein angiogram, fluorescein refers to the type of dye that is used during the procedure and angiogram refers to the study of blood vessels – in this case, retinal blood vessels. A fluorescein angiogram is a valuable test which provides information about the condition of the retina.

A Fluorescein Angiogram study begins with the injection of a sodium-based dye into an arm vein.The dye will then appear in the blood vessels on the retina within an average of 10-15 seconds. As the dye travels through the retinal blood vessels, an ophthalmic photographer shoots pictures of the retina with a special retinal camera.

The dye will usually reveal abnormalities on the retina by leaking, staining or by it’s inability to travel through blocked blood vessels. Though statistically rare, adverse reactions to the intravenous dye have been reported. You should discuss the risks and benefits of this common study with your ophthalmologist.

At the Retina Macula Institute, these photos are taken with a digital camera system, allowing the doctor to interpret the results immediately.