Digital Public Defence: Jesintha Navaratnam

MD Jesintha Navaratnam at Institute of Clinical Medicine will be defending the thesis "The application of ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence in the diagnosis and monitoring treatment effect of various retinal diseases and choroidal melanoma" for the degree of PhD (Philosophiae Doctor).

The public defence will be held as a video conference over Zoom.

The defence will follow regular procedure as far as possible, hence it will be open to the public and the audience can ask ex auditorio questions when invited to do so.

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Due to copyright reasons, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. In order for the faculty to have time to process the order, it must be received by the faculty no later than 2 days prior to the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. Inquiries regarding the thesis after the public defence must be addressed to the candidate.

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Adjudication committee

  • First opponent: Professor Michael Larsen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Second opponent: Professor Ilkka Immonen, University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Henrik Rasmussen, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo

Chair of defence

Professor Emeritus Emilia Kerty, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo

Principal Supervisor

Associate Professor Ragnheidur Bragadottir, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo

Summary

Autofluorescence is the natural emission of light by materials that is excited by light. The autofluorescence imaging modalities can be applied in clinical practice, and the application of these imaging modalities maps the biological tissues noninvasively. 

Retina is a light-sensitive tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye. It transforms the light energy into visual signals. An autofluorescent material, lipofuscin, accumulates in several retinal diseases. The autofluorescent imaging of retina may give more information about retinal diseases, progression of diseases and treatment effect. 

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the role of ultra-widefield autofluorescence imaging in differentiating retinal diseases with similar clinical resemblance such as retinal detachment, retinoschisis and retinoschisis retinal detachment, evaluate the effect of surgical repair of retinal detachment with the scleral buckling technique and investigate the effect of brachytherapy for choroidal melanomas. Retrospective studies were performed using obtained retinal images. 

The findings of the studies reveal that the schitic retina demonstrates isoautofluorescence. The accumulation of subretinal fluid in retinal detachment, detached retina in retinoschisis retinal detachment and choroidal melanoma may demonstrate hypoautofluorescence, hyperautofluorescence or isoautofluorescence with specific characteristics. During scleral buckling cryopexy is applied, and cryopexy increased or decreased autofluorescence. The choice of treatment for choroidal melanoma is local radiation therapy. Patients treated with brachytherapy demonstrated increased autofluorescence around the tumour, and this was detected at an earlier time point than clinical detection.

Autofluorescence imaging technique is noninvasive, and increasing understanding of autofluorescence in retinal diseases can be adapted rapidly in clinical use. 

Additional information

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Published Nov. 26, 2021 1:46 PM - Last modified Dec. 14, 2021 9:15 AM