Characterization of Artifacts Associated With Multicolor Confocal Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To characterize the appearance of three types of artifacts observed on multicolor confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of 159 eyes of 96 consecutive patients from the Duke Eye Center who underwent multicolor cSLO with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Infrared (IR), green, blue, and multicolor reflectance images were evaluated for artifacts with corresponding SD-OCT scans available for reference. RESULTS: Multicolor cSLO artifacts were detected in 23.3% (37 of 159) of eyes and comprised three main patterns: spot, wisp, and net. Only three instances of these artifacts were detected on IR reflectance versus 34, 37, and 35 instances on green, blue, and multicolor reflectance, respectively. Artifacts were observed in 0% of eyes with clear lenses, 27.7% of eyes with cataracts, and in 20.8% of eyes with posterior chamber intraocular lenses. CONCLUSION: Awareness of spot, wisp, and net artifacts when interpreting multicolor cSLO images may facilitate the identification of true retinal pathology.