To compare SLO (scanning laser ophthalmoscope) retromode images with conventional color fundus photography for the detection of drusen.

We obtained color fundus photography and SLO retromode images of the ten fellow eyes of ten patients with unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and twenty eyes of 20 patients who had only drusen without exudative AMD. The numbers of druse in each image were compared within the same retinal boundary.

In the fellow eyes of unilateral exudative AMD, an average number of 63.1 ± 81.9 drusen in color fundus photography and an average number of 141.3 ± 124.1 drusen in SLO retromode images were detected ( p = 0.005). In the eyes with only drusen, an average number of 57.0 ± 43.9 drusen in color fundus photography and an average number of 112.2 ± 82.0 drusen in SLO retromode images were detected ( p = 0.000). In the presence of media opacity like cataract, drusen were better detected in SLO retromode images than they were in color fundus photography.

About twice as many drusen were detected in SLO retromode images than in color fundus photography. Drusen were also better detected in SLO retromode images in cases of media opacity. SLO retromode images might provide more sensitive images for the detection of drusen than does color fundus photography.