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Purpose To improve our understanding of Stargardt disease by comparing structural changes seen on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to those visible on fundus autofluorescence (FAF). Methods FAF and SD-OCT were obtained on 22 eyes of 11 patients with Stargardt disease. SD-OCT images were obtained at the fovea and at the eccentric preferred retinal locus (PRL). The diameters of “absent” (hypo-autofluorescent) and “abnormal” FAF areas were measured. The extent of the transverse defect of the junction between the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors (IS-OS) was measured in the foveal area. The PRL was evaluated with fundus photography and microperimetry. Results Twenty-one of 22 eyes showed defective FAF. For 17 eyes, FAF was absent in the fovea and for 4 eyes the FAF was abnormal. All eyes showed disorganization and/or loss of the IS-OS junction in the foveal area on SD-OCT. The diameter of the absent FAF area was smaller than the measurement of the IS-OS junction loss; the latter was closer to the diameter of the abnormal FAF area. Seventeen eyes had an eccentric PRL associated with a retinal area with no defects on FAF. Conclusions For the majority of eyes changes on SD-OCT correlated well with changes on FAF. However for 3 patients, photoreceptor abnormalities were seen in the fovea on SD-OCT without an equivalent abnormality on FAF. This suggests that for these patients, the structural integrity of the photoreceptors may be affected earlier than changes in the RPE at least as detected by FAF.

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