Near-infrared imaging retinal diagnostic applications—a review

Objective: Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) is a commonly performed noncontact and rapid imaging technique. This paper reviews the clinical applications of NIR for diagnosing and monitoring retinal diseases. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across the Pubmed database. A total of 105 articles were finally included in this article. Images were acquired from the authors own clinical experience. Results: The article describes the imaging utility of NIR for diagnosing and deomonstrating findings in various conditions. These include retinal vascular diseases, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vitreoretinal interface pathologies, retinal dystrophies, inflammatory chorioretinopathies, phakomatoses, retinal toxicities, photic injury, choroidal cavitary lesions, choroidal neoplasms, and choroidal Vascular Lesions. Conclusion: NIR is widely acquired during OCT imaging, and is advantageous at imaging with low illumination levels and through narrow pupils or opaque media. NIR offers valuable information for the diagnosis and follow-up of retinal disease, and is highly recommended to utilize for clinical decision-making in ophthalmology.