Quantitative image sequence analysis of fundus fluorescein angiography.

Interpretation of retinal angiographic studies has heretofore been largely qualitative. The temporal properties associated with fluorescein fluorescence of normal and pathologic fundus features are quantified to potentiate pixel assignment and fundus feature quantitation for clinical studies where precise image metrology is vital. Fluorescein angiography studies were digitized, and temporally sequential images were spatially registered with polynomial warping algorithms, allowing for the construction of a three-dimensional angiogram vector. Temporal profiles through spatially registered, temporally sequential pixels were computed. Fundus feature fluorescence behavior was quantified. Fundus features may be discriminated on the basis of spatio-temporal fluorescein fluorescence properties. Pixel assignment based on spatio-temporal relationships will facilitate fundus feature quantitation.