Background
Although exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) leads to a substantial visual loss in most patients there is still significant variation in the end- stage visual acuity level. We analysed lesions in eyes with long-standing AMD in order to find contributing factors for this variation.Methods
Sixty-one out of 121 patients examined for exudative AMD and still alive 4.8–9.2 (mean 6.8) years after the acute phase were re-examined. The lesion size, area of subretinal fibrosis, geographic atrophy, presence of a persistent exudative process, and shortest distance to normal looking retina were measured from digital fundus photographs taken at the re-examination and correlated with visual acuity.Results
Lesion size, the presence of a continuing exudative process, or subretinal fibrosis were independent predictors for poor vision. Better vision in the other eye was connected with poor vision in the affected study eye.Conclusions
In addition to lesion size, the presence of a continuing exudative process and subretinal fibrosis also have deleterious effects on long-term visual acuity after exudative AMD.Aila Riusala and Ilkka Immonen have full control of all primary data. They agree to allow Graefe
s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology to review the data if requested.The research was supported by grants to Aila Riusala from the Mary ja Georg C. Ehrnrooth, Paulo, Silmä- ja kudospankki- and Sokeain Ystävät Foundations, Helsinki, Finland and research funds of the Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
No proprietary or commercial interests were involved.